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MABEL, a new kind of bipedal robot, is seen here with a lateral support boom. The boom prevents it from moving side to side but does not prevent it from tipping forward when it walks. Existing bipedal robots have control software that relies on sensors to precisely read the various features of a walking surface.
They also have large, flat feet to help maintain balance when walking. These designs, say some engineers, drastically limit the kind of locomotion that can be achieved. MABEL breaks the rules. Rather than walking on flat feet, MABEL walks on unactuated point feet. In other words, MABEL has no feet at all in the traditional sense. Actuators are the muscles of a robot; they convert stored energy into movement. MABEL's feet have no actuators. Instead, it walks on what look like stilts. Its feet have no supplemental pivot points that can be rolled to help keep balance such as ankles, heels or toes that rely on anatomical muscles. As a substitute, MABEL depends on next-generation control algorithms that give it not only an ability to walk, but also to run. Tests show MABEL, like some athletes, can run 6.8 miles per hour with both feet in the air for 40 percent of each stride. In addition, without falling over, it can seamlessly step over, off and on obstacles.Image credit: Catharine June, University of Michigan
