We've seen the Lynx robodog from China's Deep Robotics perform some incredibly athletic feats since launching last year, such as bounding over extreme terrain and chilling in snow. Now the company has debuted a rugged version for industrial use.
The Lynx M20 looks like a beefier version of its very capable wheeled kennel-mate, and is described as the world's first wheeled robot designed for industrial use in extreme environments. It's expected to see use in infrastructure inspection, disaster and emergency, logistics and distribution, and scientific research applications.
As demonstrated in the video below, "it conquers rugged mountain trails, muddy wetlands and debris-strewn ruins" and can be seen padding through desert sands, hopping down stepped inclines, crossing wobbly bridges, and even emerging from a watering hole.
The intrepid robot can zip along on four wheels when speed is of the essence, and independently lock them for walking mode or to climb over obstacles. It's equipped with 96-line LiDAR for 360-degree situational awareness, and sports bi-directional lighting for operation in challenging conditions while illuminating the scene for folks watching on the live video feed enabled by the wide-angle camera out front.
The M20 is able to pass through gaps as narrow as 50 cm (under 20 inches), is reported able to ace stairs and clamber over large objects (up to a height of 80 cm/31.5 in) blocking its path. It boasts a wheeled operating speed of 7.2 km/h (4.5 mph), but can max out at 18 km/h, and its motors are able to tackle inclines up to 45 degrees.
The rugged-looking beast is IP66 weather protected, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -20 °C to 55 °C (-4 to 131 °F). It weighs in at 33 kg (~73 lb), including its battery pack, and can accept a 15-kg (33 lb) payload up top. It also benefits from a hot-swap battery design for extended missions beyond its standard 2.5-to-3-hour per-charge endurance.
A Pro version of the quadruped gains autonomous charging, SLAM positioning and mapping, autonomous navigation, and other upgrades such as USB as well as Gigabit Ethernet. This seems to be a price on asking kind of deal, but as a general guide, the regular Lynx robodog comes in at around US$18k.
Source: Deep Robotics