Caltech researchers have built a bipedal robot, LEONARDO, that can walk a slackline, hop, and even ride a skateboard. Researchers claim it is the first robot that uses multi-joint legs and propeller-based thrusters to achieve a fine degree of control over its balance. ‘LEO’ can choose to either walk or fly or blend the two in order to overcome obstacles.”We drew inspiration from nature. Think about the way birds are able to flap and hop to navigate telephone lines,” Soon-Jo Chung, corresponding author and Bren Professor of Aerospace and Control and Dynamical Systems said. “A complex yet intriguing behavior happens as birds move between walking and flying. We wanted to understand and learn from that.”
