Cassie the bipedal robot completes 5K run

(Oregon State University)

(CORVALLIS, Ore.) A robot named Cassie, invented by Oregon State University’s robotics department, has finished its first 5K run, FOX 12 reports.

The robot was developed with a 16-month, $1 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, according to OSU. Cassie is the first bipedal robot to utilize machine learning to control a running gait on uneven, outdoor terrain.

The robot has knees that bend similarly to an ostrich and taught itself to run using a deep reinforcement learning algorithm. Running requires balancing while being in motion and switching positions, and Cassie has learned to make subtle adjustments to stay upright while in movement.

“This type of holistic approach will enable animal-like levels of performance. It’s incredibly exciting,” OSU robotics professor Jonathan Hurst said.

According to Hurst, robots like Cassie will one day become a common sight. Research at OSU has enabled breakthroughs in the science and understanding of legged locomotion, the university said.

Hurst says eventually, bipedal robots will have the safety capabilities and intelligence to assist people in their homes.

“In the not very distant future, everyone will see and interact with robots in many places in their everyday lives, robots that work alongside us and improve our quality of life,” he said.

Cassie’s 5K run time was 53 minutes and three seconds. It also involved around 6.5 minutes of resets after the robot fell twice, once because the computer overheated and another because it took a turn too fast.

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