Revolutionary High-Jumping Robot Could Leap Over the Statue of Liberty: A Breakthrough in AI-Powered Exploration

Revolutionary High-Jumping Robot Could Leap Over the Statue of Liberty: A Breakthrough in AI-Powered Exploration
Image credit: University of Manchester 

Scientists have developed a robot capable of potentially jumping 400 feet (120 meters) on Earth and up to 650 feet (200 meters) on the moon, high enough to clear the Statue of Liberty. Designed for traversing challenging terrains such as caves, forests, and other planets, this high-jumping robot features prism-shaped legs with stretchable springs to maximize the transfer of elastic energy into kinetic energy during jumps.

The researchers aim for the robot to leap heights many times its own size, surpassing current records by more than six times. They detailed their findings in the journal Mechanism and Machine Theory on May 24. To demonstrate their concept, they built a 15.7-inch (40 cm) robot capable of jumping over 5 feet (1.6 meters) in the air.

“While jumping robots already exist, there are several big challenges in their design, primarily jumping high enough to overcome large and complicated obstacles,” explained study co-author John Lo, a research associate in space robotics at the University of Manchester. He emphasized that their design could significantly enhance the energy efficiency and performance of spring-driven jumping robots.

Conventional robots often use wheels or legs, like Boston Dynamics' Atlas and Spot, which perform well on simple terrain but struggle with cliffs or uneven surfaces. This is where a jumping design proves beneficial.

Jumping robots generally use motors to store energy in a spring, which is then released to propel the robot upwards. This mechanism, seen in animals like fleas and locusts, allows springs to generate more power than standalone motors, resulting in higher jumps. However, previous designs often release spring energy prematurely, not fully converting it to kinetic energy and sometimes wasting energy by moving sideways or rotating instead of jumping straight up.

“There were many questions and decisions about the robot's shape, such as whether it should have legs like a kangaroo or be more like an engineered piston with a giant spring,” said co-author Ben Parslew, a senior lecturer in aerospace engineering at the University of Manchester.

The scientists tested two models: one with a straight-line "prismatic" system and one with a rotational system. The prismatic model, with legs moving in a piston-like motion, had issues with inertia due to extra weight at the bottom. The rotational model, with circular motion legs like a kangaroo's, also fell short as the legs spun off the ground before fully releasing spring energy.

Combining the best aspects of both designs, the team shifted most of the robot’s weight to the top and streamlined the bottom for better stability and energy efficiency. They used straight-moving prismatic legs with linearly extending springs to prevent premature take-offs.

The team is now working on controlling jump direction and harnessing kinetic energy from landings to increase the number of jumps per charge. They are also exploring more compact designs suitable for space missions.