Scientists from Northeastern University, the Caltech Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have collaborated to create a robot, dubbed the M4 for Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot, that can move in a variety of ways.
The robot has four wheels, with four propeller drives incorporated into them. These propellers are designed to be foldable, allowing the robot to convert from a vehicle to a quadcopter. The M4 can also run on difficult terrain with locked wheels and can adapt to crouch or stand upright.
The robot analyzes the terrain in front of it using camera images and artificial intelligence (AI) and decides which mode of locomotion is the most efficient. It can roll on less difficult terrain, cross bumpy passages continuously, and overcome gorges by flying.
The walking movement of the robot currently has a conceptual character, but the scientists plan to improve it in future versions of the M4. They believe that only robots capable of transforming their components using AI can be successful in unfamiliar environments.
The development of this multi-modal robot opens up possibilities for its use in explorations on other planets. The researchers are pushing the boundaries of robotic locomotion and hope to continue improving the M4 in future iterations.
