YOU NEED TO SEE AN OSTRICH-INSPIRED ROBOT WALK THROUGH FIRE

By now you should have heard about Cassie and her dancing days, which seems to be a thing of the past.

A lab at the University of Michigan is putting the robot through its paces, testing the robot in extreme circumstances, by walking through a fire, and even riding a Segway...

These are just two ways Jessy Grizzle's lab are testing the limits of Cassie, a research platform that roboticists are using to master bipedal locomotion, originally created by Agility robotics at Oregan State University. "We’re excited to get Cassie out into researchers’ hands because researchers tend to be the most abusive, so we will learn all the failure points and build better robots in the future", says co-founder and chief engineer Mikhail Jones.

Cassie could signal the future of delivery and courier services, adding a 'human' touch to current drone delivery concepts. Agility Robotics outline the possibility of a fleet of similar robots delivering products to the consumer’s door, utilising existing roads and walkways.

The team did also test the robot's ability to ride on a Segway. Researchers will be able to send their robot on a cruise through a crowded tourist area, they'd know that it can ride a Segway just like you, by holding an upright position to keep its centre of gravity over the machine, then lean forward or backwards to accelerate or decelerate.

Have a look at the video below to see for yourself.