Quadruped

There was a time when quadruped robots were only available to deep-pocketed corporate clients, but we're now seeing less-pricey miniature models hitting the market. One of the latest, the XGO 2, is the first such mini-bot to sport a robotic arm.

Many people are already creeped out by quadruped robots, which walk on four legs instead of rolling on wheels or tracks. Well, the MARVEL robot likely won't do much to change such feelings, as it can walk straight up ferromagnetic metal walls.

Last year, Hong Kong's MangDang gave programmers the chance to own a small hackable four-legged robot named the Mini Pupper, a kind of baby Spot. Now the team has returned to Kickstarter with a much-improved second generation robo-dog.

Ghost Robotics' Vision 60 quadruped robot is already quite a versatile beast, capable of walking, running and even carrying a gun. Now, thanks to a third-party attachment, it can also "swim" through the water.

While scientists have already created tight-space-exploring robots based on snakes and cockroaches, rats are also highly adept at squeezing through narrow openings. They now have a robotic equivalent of their own, in the form of the SQuRo.

Unitree's quadruped robots are clearly influenced by the SpotMini bot, which can be equipped with a manipulator arm. Not to be outdone, Unitree has now announced an arm of its own, which will allow its robots to perform a variety of new tasks.

The ANYmal robot was already impressive back when it walked on four legs. It got more interesting when wheels were added, letting it both walk and roll. That wheeled version is now also able to stand up, and could soon be used for urban deliveries.

If an ant encounters a gap too wide for it to cross, the insect will sometimes signal other ants to form a bridge of their linked bodies. Such behaviour has now been copied in a small four-legged robot, that may inspire better search-and-rescue bots.

While many people are fascinated by Boston Dynamics' dog-inspired Spot quadruped robot, there's no way that they could ever afford one of their own. They could still own a different robo-dog, though, in the form of the smaller, cheaper Mini Pupper.

Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi has unveiled the CyberDog, its first commercial quadruped robot – and its design inspired by out four-legged friends might be one that keen watchers of the space are familiar with.

Switzerland's ANYbotics has announced a new fully autonomous four-legged ANYmal robot coupled with inspection analytics software for complete end-to-end inspection of energy and industrial processing plants.

Scientists at Norway's University of Oslo have developed a four-legged robot that can adjust its leg length and walking gait on the fly as it encounters different surfaces, improving its energy efficiency and performance in unpredictable settings.