“KAIST’s quadrupedal robot ‘RaiBo2’ running in the Geumsan Marathon last September. /KAIST”
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) research team has developed a quadrupedal robot that will attempt to complete a marathon.
KAIST announced that the newly developed quadrupedal robot ‘RaiBo2’ by Professor Jaemin Hwangbo’s mechanical engineering team will attempt to complete the full course (42.195 km) at the Sangju Gotgam Marathon held on the 17th in Sangju, Gyeongbuk.
Quadrupedal robots have recently demonstrated excellent walking performance in various terrains, including sand, ice, and mountainous areas, and are expanding into fields such as surveillance and reconnaissance. However, they generally have limitations in terms of distance covered and operation time compared to wheel-based robots. Last year, the research team developed a walking robot, ‘RaiBo,’ that can adapt to different ground types autonomously and walk efficiently with minimal power loss. RaiBo demonstrated the ability to walk easily on sandy beaches. The newly developed RaiBo2 has improved walking efficiency, allowing it to walk continuously for 43 km on a single charge, which is more than twice the previous robot’s capability.
“RaiBo2 running in the Geumsan Marathon last September. /KAIST”
RaiBo2 successfully completed a marathon in 4 hours and 40 minutes by following a stored GPS route at the KAIST main ground. Through this marathon, the plan is to demonstrate walking performance in actual urban environments. Last September, RaiBo2 attempted its first marathon in the Geumsan Ginseng Festival Marathon but failed to finish due to battery depletion at the 37 km mark. The robot struggled to maintain a steady pace due to frequent accelerations and decelerations when it ran alongside other participants on the actual marathon course.
The research team stated, “We enhanced control efficiency by implementing joint stiffness control directly into the motor drive, which was previously done on a PC. We also improved the internal structure to increase battery capacity by 33%, allowing for a maximum distance of 67 km in straight path conditions.”