This robot is unusual. There are many robotic models that are capable of traversing different and difficult types of terrain. This one, however, aptly combines several skills: walking, flying, skateboarding and even slacklining.
Seeing robots around is not surprising anymore – just think about drones or robotic vacuum cleaners. But it is still quite unusual to see bipedal humanoid robots, especially those that are capable of mimicking human motions. Although, such robots exist today, and many engineers and scientists are interested in advancing their functionality toward practically useful applications.
Creators of LEONARDO (short for LEgs ONboARD drOne) decided to pursue a more complex scenario. In a sense, their robot acts like a bird – it can fly, and it can walk, but uses propellers instead of wings. But how about riding a skateboard? Yes, this particular prototype controls its dynamics well enough even for a slackline, not to mention a regular skateboard.
Watch more about this development in the following videos: