Run, robot, run – here comes the OutRunner

05-11-2014 • http://www.gizmag.com, By Ben Coxworth

Well, how about something that runs? That's just what the OutRunner does. It's being billed as "the world's first RC running robot," and hopefully you'll soon be able to get one for under $250.

The OutRunner was created by Robotics Unlimited, a spinoff company consisting of robotics, electronics and mechanical designers from the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition.

As can be seen in the photos, it's not a bipedal robot, but instead features vertically-mounted spinning "turrets" on either side, with a series of monopod-like legs extending out from them. As the turrets (or whatever they're called) turn, the legs move forward and meet the ground.

"By having a center of mass lower than the leg axis of rotation, OutRunner robots exploit a buoyancy effect, making them inherently stable and eliminating the need for expensive sensors and complex control algorithms," the company explains on its Kickstarter page. "Energy efficiency is achieved by exploiting the same feature observed in legged animals; using legs as an energy storage system allows for fluctuation and conservation (and not losses) of potential and kinetic energy during running."