This robot ostrich could be your future personal assistant

Engineers from Oregon State University have unveiled a bipedal robot that could, in the future, help in disaster recovery, assist the elderly—or even deliver groceries to your front door.

Agility Robotics' Cassie robot dynamically learns to navigate uneven terrain as it moves along, mimicking the way humans make split-second decisions unknowingly as we walk.

But unlike humans, Cassie uses reverse-kneed legs that more closely resemble those of ostriches, chickens, Star Wars' AT-ST's, and Macross' Zentraedi battle pods.

This particular leg configuration was chosen because it was the most efficient setup given the robot's power and mechanical constraints.

Agility Robotics cofounder and OSU professor Jonathan Hurst is optimistic that his group's research in dynamic locomotion has a wide range of potential practical uses.

"If we really understood how to implement dynamically capable legs, there would be so many applications for them, including search-and-rescue, exoskeletons, powered prosthetic limbs, and package delivery," Hurst told IEEE Spectrum.

"I believe legged locomotion is going to be analogous to the automotive industry, in terms of size and how it transforms our society," he concluded. — GMA News