Have you ever wondered what it would be like to race against a robot? Well, now you can! Meet HOUND, the fastest four-legged robot in the world. Developed by South Korean engineers at the Dynamic Robot Control and Design Laboratory, HOUND ran 328 feet in just 19.87 seconds, making it the fastest four-legged robot in the world1. This feat was officially acknowledged by Guinness World Records, which awarded HOUND the record for the quickest 100 meters by a quadrupedal robot[1].
Starting from a stationary position, HOUND completed its sprint and came to a standstill after crossing the finishing line[1]. All of these movements were achieved with a single motor controller trained in the simulation through reinforcement learning, according to Young-Ha Shin, HOUND’s designer[1].
HOUND’s design is inspired by dogs, and it shows. The robot’s movements are fluid and natural, and its lightweight feet are specialized for sprinting[2]. It weighs 45 kg (99 lb), which is similar to an average adult male American bulldog[2]. HOUND’s comprehensive range of motion is achieved by giving the hip and knee actuator modules a parallel configuration, along with a belt-pulley system to transmit the knee actuation to the knee joint[2]. For the gearbox, a system with high-power transmission efficiency was chosen[2].
Although HOUND was designed for high-speed running, it can do much more than that. It has proved able to successfully climb a 22° slope, walk 3.2 km, and traverse a 35-cm-high obstacle[2]. The robo-dog’s range of movement, as well as its speed, will undoubtedly continue to improve in the future as its creators continue to work on it.
HOUND is a remarkable achievement in the field of robotics. Its design is inspired by dogs, and its movements are fluid and natural. It has set the record for the quickest 100 meters by a quadrupedal robot, and its range of motion is impressive. Who knows what other feats HOUND will achieve in the future? One thing is for sure: it’s an exciting time to be alive and witness the incredible advancements in robotics technology[1][2].
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