PIGORASS quadruped robot moves like a strange puppy

How often do you see a robot that you actually want to lift up with your arms and hug like a puppy? Not many, but this quadruped robot from Japan might change your mind. To be demonstrated at IROS 2011 later this month, the PIGORASS was developed at the Graduate School of Information Science & Technology, The University of Tokyo, Japan.

Developed by roboticists that had previously created jumping and running robots, they have decided to create a robot that uses an external air compressor, pressure sensors and potentiometers to replicate how real muscles work. The result? A quadruped robot that can walk, gallop and move around like a strange little puppy. Granted, it’ll be sometime more before we get robots that can move around with muscles just like real animals and human beings, but it looks like we’re on the right track. Check out the demonstration video to see the PIGORASS in action (make sure you stick around for the bloopers!):