When we last heard from LimX Dynamics, the Chinese robotics firm was showing off a quadruped robot that could walk on legs or roll on wheels. The company has now released a video of its new humanoid robot, which can autonomously climb stairs.
Codenamed the CL-1, the testbed biped bot is designed to "serve as a platform for tackling cutting-edge technology challenges in humanoid robots." That said, LimX envisions the CL-1's industrial and consumer descendants performing a wide variety of tasks in settings such as hazardous environments, automobile manufacturing plants, and even regular people's homes.
In both indoor and outdoor tests performed last month, the robot was able to independently assess stairs, slopes and curbs as it encountered them, adjusting its gait in real time in order to traverse them without incident. This means that the bot hadn't simply been preprogrammed to move its legs in a precise manner that matched each of the specific challenges.
Although we're still waiting to hear back from LimX regarding the CL-1's technical specifications, the company has stated that the robot was able to perform this feat via a combination of onboard sensors, real-time terrain perception and motion control algorithms, plus high-performing joint actuators and other hardware.
There's currently no word on when we might expect to see a commercial LimX humanoid robot hit the market. For now, you can see the CL-1 in action in the recently posted video.
Source: LimX Dynamics
