Cornell University has developed a new quadruped robot: it is expected to be used in search and rescue scenes and can carry 22 times self-weight objects.

CTOnews.com, September 18 (Xinhua)-- Cornell University has developed a new type of small quadruped robot that can crawl, jump and bear dozens of times its own weight, according to Nature magazine.

According to the report, the driving robot is the size of an insect, each "foot" is powered by a driver, driven by a hollow cylinder covered with elastic silicone at the top. In order for the robot to jump and crawl, each "foot" is injected with methane and oxygen, and relies on the battery to generate electric sparks. The energy released by the gas reaction causes the silica gel to deform, providing a "considerable" propulsion force for the robot in a piston-like form.

Robert Shepherd, a materials engineer involved in the research and development, explained that because the energy is released very quickly, the silica gel will not burn out. The propulsion provided by this process enables the robot to jump to the height of the 56cm and carry a load of 22 times its own weight.

According to reports, this small, light, sturdy and long-distance mobile robot will one day be used in environmental monitoring, search and rescue and other fields. But it still has its limitations: cables must be used to connect to a device that contains a gas supply and battery, and it is "not easy" to attach energy to a robot without a tether.

CTOnews.com attached the original article of Nature magazine as follows:

This insect-sized robot can carry 22 times its own weight