One of the most challenging goals in robot design is perfecting its method of locomotion. Wheels and tracks often do the job well, but if we want robots to take on all the tasks we have in mind, they must learn to walk like a human. That brings us to Cassie, a bipedal robot created by Agility Robotics, inspired by an ostrich, which in the future could deliver packages to your door and assist in rescue operations.
Why do we need bipedal robots?
We need bipedal robots. If they are truly going to have a place in our daily lives, they must move the way we do, at our pace. That is not a selfish statement but simple logic. We have often discussed the potential of robots as personal caregivers. A robot with that kind of responsibility has to respond with speed and precision, and it must not struggle with adaptation. Doors, stairs, elevators, balconies—the robot has to know how to handle all of that and much more. Fortunately, there are brilliant minds out there working on this, and one of the latest examples is Cassie.
Cassie: Agility Robotics' Ostrich-Inspired Creation
Cassie is a creation of Agility Robotics, a company that emerged from the University of Oregon. Its leaders describe Cassie as a “dynamic walker”, meaning a greater ability to adapt to uneven terrain and spontaneous conditions like loss of balance. Cassie is a relatively new model—three months old according to available information—but a good part of its technology was transferred from another robot called ATRIAS, which we covered in May 2015.
Its ostrich-like appearance is not something Agility Robotics actively sought, but running birds were undoubtedly a source of inspiration. Cassie appears to have a clear path to the general market. Agility Robotics said its initial production run is already sold out, and one of the main applications will be package delivery. In the future, there will be versions with arms and additional sensors, which could enable far more advanced tasks, including search and rescue operations.
