(Describer) Beside a globe filled with water, Title: Science Nation. A man places different lengths of wood blocks next to each other, then picks up a small flat robot with hinged legs.
(male narrator)
As a teenager,
computer engineer Luther Palmer
wanted to build
The Terminator.
While this robot might look
more like
a big roach
than Arnold Schwarzenegger,
its unique leg system
is designed for rough running.
(male)
What we are asking robots
to do now, terrestrial robots,
(Describer) It climbs over the blocks.
is the tip of the iceberg
of what future robots will do.
One of the ways to extend
the capabilities of robots
is by adding
more complex legs
(Describer) The hinges are at the top like hips and the middle like knees.
and making those legs operate
more smartly.
What has been
a nemesis in the past
has been uneven, unexpected,
or loose terrain.
(Describer) A computer animation walks like a marching insect on a monitor.
(narrator)
With support from the
National Science Foundation,
Palmer and his team at the
University of South Florida
are designing simulation models
for the next generation
of robotic legs,
then building them in the lab.
(male)
In the past,
legs have been built
with a glorified pogo stick,
where there's just
a linear spring.
If we put knee
and ankle joints on legs,
what should the springs at
the knee and ankle look like?
(Describer) Horses run in a field.
(narrator)
Palmer studies
the biomechanics of animals
adept at running
on rough ground to program
the computer algorithms
that power the simulations.
(male)
We do a fair amount
of gathering information
from biological sources
about how animals,
how horses run--one of the more
well-studied animals,
how humans run--pulling data
from motion capture systems.
That gives us a framework
to form the algorithm.
(Describer) The robot walks over planks.
(narrator)
A big challenge is designing
robotic legs
that move effectively
and efficiently
without sucking up too much
computer processing power.
We move around without thinking
about every step we take.
Why shouldn't a robot?
(male)
We know that humans
and animals
have two modes
of walking or running.
One is a top-heavy,
brain is telling the legs
what and when to do it.
But when running fast
or moving quickly,
there isn't enough time
for much information exchange.
So that's what we try to model
with our hexapod walker.
(narrator)
Palmer sees broad applications
for these smart legs:
military robots that can walk
alongside soldiers
to carry heavy loads,
spacefaring robots
that run like horses
over the surface
of mars,
and search-and-rescue robots
that can move
through a debris field
looking for survivors.
(Describer) The robot crosses a floor.
(male)
A mobile robot
that has legs,
that can run and jump
and even climb walls
would be a valuable asset
in some situations
where time is
of the essence.
(narrator)
You have to crawl
before you can walk.
Think of these little guys
as giving a leg up
to running robots
to come.
(Describer) A globe turns beside the title.
For Science Nation,
I'm Miles O'Brien.
