AI evolved robots that can survive being cut in half
Northwestern University engineers have created "legged metamachines," modular robots that can handle rough terrain and even survive serious damage.
Using AI, the team evolved these bots by mixing and matching parts until they found designs that handled a range of rough terrains and survived significant damage in tests.
Testing thousands of combos
The AI tested thousands of robot combos in digital versions of sand, mud, grass, and more.
Only the best survivors made it to real-life testing.
The final bots are quick to assemble and built for outdoor challenges.
They can even lose a leg and keep going
These robots can flip themselves upright if knocked over, keep going with missing legs, and even survive being cut in half; sometimes their parts roll away or reattach.
As Kriegman put it, they easily recover from major injuries fatal to every other wild robot.
Potential applications in extreme environments
The researchers say the approach could lead to robots suited to extreme environments, which could include applications like disaster response or planetary exploration, in many challenging or unstructured environments where conventional robots might fail.