Articles tagged with "robot-dog"
Hengbot unveils Sirius, a robot dog you can train yourself
Hengbot Innovation, a Shenzhen-based robotics startup, has introduced Sirius, touted as the world’s first trainable AI robot dog designed primarily for entertainment, companionship, and programming. Unlike industrial or surveillance robots, Sirius emphasizes user interaction and customization, allowing owners to personalize its appearance, behaviors, and movements through Hengbot’s proprietary software platform, Creator Studio. This platform enables users—even those without advanced robotics knowledge—to design new behaviors and modify the robot’s personality, making it an accessible entry point for robotics and AI enthusiasts. The robot’s hardware features a patented motor design that provides 14 degrees of freedom across multiple joints, enabling more natural and agile movements compared to many existing consumer robot dogs. Sirius can perform a variety of lifelike actions such as shaking hands, sitting, and executing customizable tricks, reinforcing its focus on playful interaction rather than industrial applications. After completing a successful Kickstarter campaign, Hengbot is preparing to fulfill orders to backers and plans to launch Sirius commercially later this year via direct-to-cons
robotAIroboticsrobot-dogprogrammable-robotentertainment-robotcompanion-robotChina’s robot dog autonomously finds victims in disaster drills
Chinese robotics firm Deep Robotics showcased its X30 quadruped robot dogs in a disaster rescue drill held in Hangzhou on November 27. The drill, named the “2025 Joint Emergency Rescue Drill for Concurrent Multi-Type Accidents,” tested the robots’ ability to autonomously locate seven simulated trapped victims across multiple high-risk scenarios. The X30 demonstrated advanced mobility and stability by navigating challenging terrain such as 45-degree stairs, hollow scaffolding, and debris-filled surfaces, supported by its four-legged bionic design, smart gait control, and IP67 protection rating that allows operation in dusty and wet conditions. These capabilities enabled the robots to safely enter hazardous zones and relay critical real-time data to command centers. The X30 robots employed full-scene scanning, long-distance video feeds, and a broadband self-organizing network to build 3D models of the disaster site, providing rescue teams with accurate environmental awareness and situational updates. Integrated with personnel search-and-rescue systems and facial recognition cameras, the
roboticsrescue-robotsautonomous-robotsdisaster-responsequadruped-robotsrobot-dogDeep-RoboticsAnthropic study finds Claude helps humans train robots faster
Anthropic conducted an internal one-day study, dubbed Project Fetch, to evaluate how its AI model Claude impacts human performance in real-world robotics tasks. Two teams of software engineers were tasked with programming a quadruped robot dog to fetch a beach ball, with only one team having access to Claude. The Claude-assisted team completed seven out of eight tasks, outperforming the non-AI team, which completed six. The most significant advantage was seen in hardware-level tasks such as connecting to the robot and accessing sensor data, where Claude helped quickly identify solutions and troubleshoot issues, while the non-AI team struggled and required external hints. The study also revealed that the Claude-assisted team wrote about nine times more code and explored multiple approaches in parallel, boosting creativity and iteration speed, although sometimes pursuing unproductive directions. While the non-AI team occasionally moved faster in some tasks, the AI-assisted system ultimately provided smoother and more user-friendly control. Additionally, analysis of team interactions showed that the non-AI group experienced
robotAIroboticsrobot-doghuman-robot-interactionautomationmachine-learningRobot Dog Gets Trained To Backflip
Boston Dynamics has demonstrated their quadrupedal robot, Spot, performing backflips as part of a training regimen aimed at enhancing the robot's balance and recovery capabilities. This exercise is designed to push the limits of Spot's agility and stability, showcasing advancements in robotic movement and control. The backflip training highlights Boston Dynamics' ongoing efforts to improve the robot's ability to handle dynamic and challenging motions, which could translate to better performance in real-world applications requiring agility and resilience. This development underscores the company's commitment to refining robotic mobility through complex physical maneuvers.
robotroboticsBoston-Dynamicsquadrupedal-robotrobot-dogrobot-trainingrobot-balanceBoston Dynamics’ robot dog nails daring backflips in new video
Boston Dynamics has showcased its robot dog, Spot, performing consistent backflips in a new video, highlighting the robot’s advanced agility and refined design. While these gymnastic feats are unlikely to be part of Spot’s routine tasks, they serve a critical engineering purpose: pushing the robot to its physical limits to identify and address potential balance failures. This helps improve Spot’s ability to recover quickly from slips or trips, especially when carrying heavy payloads in industrial settings, thereby enhancing its reliability and durability. The development of Spot’s backflip capability involved reinforcement learning techniques, where the robot was trained in simulations to optimize its movements by receiving rewards for successful actions, akin to training a dog with treats. This iterative process of simulation and real-world testing allows engineers to fine-tune Spot’s behavior and ensure robust performance. Beyond technological advancements, Spot’s agility has also been demonstrated in entertainment contexts, such as performing dance routines on America’s Got Talent, showcasing its versatility. Looking forward, Spot’s ongoing evolution through
robotroboticsBoston-Dynamicsrobot-dogreinforcement-learningmachine-learningquadruped-robotVideo: Swiss robot dog plays perfect badminton match with a human
Researchers at Switzerland’s ETH Zurich have developed a quadruped robot dog named ANYmal, capable of playing badminton with a human at the skill level of a seven-year-old child. ANYmal, created by ANYbotics, uses a sophisticated control system equipped with two cameras to track and predict the shuttlecock’s trajectory. It swings a racket attached to a multi-axis arm to hit the shuttlecock precisely. The robot was trained using reinforcement learning in a virtual environment, where it practiced thousands of rallies to learn positioning, shot accuracy, and anticipatory movement, enabling it to perform with remarkable precision in real-world play. A key challenge addressed in the development was maintaining balance while lunging and moving quickly to return shots. ANYmal’s reinforcement learning algorithm enhances its coordination and stability, allowing it to move with agility and balance comparable to a human player. Originally designed for industrial inspection and navigating rough terrains, including disaster zones, ANYmal’s capabilities have now been extended to dynamic sports environments. Priced at around
robotroboticsreinforcement-learningquadruped-robotrobot-dogautonomous-robotsrobot-control-systemsUnitree’s glass-shattering robot dog scales slopes, carries loads
Unitree Robotics has unveiled its latest quadruped robot dog, the A2, designed for demanding industrial applications with enhanced mobility, endurance, and performance. Weighing about 82 pounds (37 kg), the A2 features 12 degrees of freedom and powerful motors delivering up to 180 Nm of torque, enabling it to carry loads up to 55 pounds (25 kg) and support standing loads of 220 pounds (100 kg). The robot can navigate challenging terrain, including climbing 45° slopes, ascending 30 cm stairs, and traversing rough pathways with agility. Equipped with front and rear industrial-grade LiDAR sensors, an HD camera, and a front light, the A2 can detect and respond to its environment in real time, ensuring precise movement and stability. The A2 demonstrates remarkable agility and durability, as showcased in a promotional video where it performs backflips, balances on one leg, and even crashes through glass without losing functionality. Its 12 high-density motors allow
robotquadruped-robotindustrial-robotLiDARrobot-dogroboticsautonomous-navigationChina’s latest robot dog performs flips, handstands, tough climbs
China’s robotic startup MagicLab has unveiled the MagicDog-W, a wheel-legged quadruped robot that combines wheels and legs to achieve high mobility and agility. Equipped with 17 motors driving each joint and wheel, the robot can perform dynamic stunts such as flips and handstands while navigating challenging terrains including slopes steeper than 40 degrees, stairs, and vertical obstacles up to 60 cm. It can carry a payload of up to 10 kg (22 lbs) and reach speeds of 3 meters per second (6.71 mph), with an operational runtime of 2 to 4 hours per charge. The MagicDog-W’s advanced motor control system allows it to adapt its posture dynamically in response to terrain changes, enabling stable movement on rough and unstructured surfaces. Its combination of speed, endurance, and payload capacity makes it suitable for practical applications such as industrial inspection, search and rescue, exploration, and military logistics. While pricing has not been disclosed, the robot’s innovative wheel-leg
robotroboticsquadruped-robotmotor-controlterrain-navigationrobot-dogagile-roboticsWorld’s first robot dog learns animal gaits in 9 hours with AI power
Researchers at the University of Leeds have developed the world’s first robot dog capable of autonomously adapting its gait to mimic real animal movements across unfamiliar terrains. Using an AI system inspired by animals such as dogs, cats, and horses, the robot—nicknamed “Clarence”—learned to switch between walking styles like trotting, running, and bounding within just nine hours. This bio-inspired deep reinforcement learning framework enables the robot to adjust its stride for energy efficiency, balance, and coordination without human intervention or additional tuning, even in environments it has never encountered before. This breakthrough represents a significant advancement in legged robotics, with practical applications in hazardous environments like nuclear decommissioning and search and rescue, where human presence is risky. By training the robot entirely in simulation and then transferring the learned policies directly to the physical machine, the researchers achieved a high level of adaptability and resilience. The project also underscores the potential of biomimicry in robotics, offering insights into how biological intelligence principles can improve robotic
robotAIroboticslegged-robotsbio-inspired-roboticsautonomous-robotsrobot-dogBlack Panther: China’s robot dog breaks Boston Dynamics speed record
Chinese startup Mirror Me has developed Black Panther II, a four-legged robot dog that recently broke Boston Dynamics’ speed record by completing a 100-meter dash in 13.17 seconds, reaching a peak speed of 9.7 meters per second. This surpasses Boston Dynamics’ WildCat robot, which had a top speed of about 8.8 meters per second. Although Black Panther II’s speed exceeds the current Guinness World Record for a 100-meter robot race held by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology’s Hound robot (19.87 seconds), Mirror Me has yet to apply for the official record, focusing instead on research and development. Founded in May 2024 by Zhejiang University graduates and faculty, Mirror Me aims to push robotics further, targeting a bipedal robot running at 10 m/s by 2026 and a humanoid personal assistant robot by 2030. These ambitions align with China’s broader robotics growth, as the country saw a 14.2%
roboticsrobot-dogBoston-DynamicsBlack-Panther-IIhumanoid-robotsChina-roboticsrobot-speed-record