Many people have played with remote control cars, remote control airplanes, and remote control boats, but there is nothing new. So, have you ever played with a remote-controlled running robot? Recently, a company called Robotics Unlimited in Florida, USA, developed a running robot called "OutRunner". The company is a subsidiary of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) in Pensacola, Florida.
OutRunner is equipped with "three-legged" racks on the left and right sides. The two racks continuously rotate during travel to make it run forward. It has a self-balancing function and can move freely in different complex terrains. OutRunner is 45mm tall, weighs 1.36 kilograms, and can reach a top speed of 16 kilometers per hour. You can remotely control it through the corresponding APP on the mobile terminal, and the battery life is up to 60 minutes. Its energy saving feature is the energy storage system in the legs, which can convert the kinetic energy during running into other energy.
OutRunner also has an advanced version, OutRunner Performance, with a height of 61mm, a speed of up to 32 kilometers per hour, and a battery life of 2 hours. It can provide customized services for 6 to 12 legs. Whats even cooler is that it has a camera that can transmit the picture to your mobile phone in real time. According to the developers, because OutRunners center of gravity is lower than the rotating shaft and it uses a buoyancy effect, it has very good stability. During walking, the tilt direction of the OutRunners center of gravity can be adjusted remotely to enable it to turn flexibly. OutRunner is available in two versions: core and advanced, priced at $299 and $788 respectively. Robotics Unlimited expects it to be available next year.
