About a year ago we reported on an amazing little robot that was capable of riding a bike at speeds of 6mph unaided. It was the creation of Dr. Guero, and was just as memorable for the way the robot braked (both feet down on the ground) as it was for the way it managed to remain balanced while pedaling.
Now Dr. Guero is back, and this time he’s created a robot that can walk a tightrope unaided. The bike riding robot was called PRIMER V2, but for tightrope walking we present you PRIMER V4.
Dr. Guero created the new robot by modifying a Kondo KHR-3HV robot to give it foot grooves. They sit over the 4mm-thick steel wire the robot slides its feet along while maintaining balance using its arms. The original arms have been replaced to be lighter, but maintain the same length. They react to an inclination sensor in order to make quick, micro movements and allow the body to remain balanced.
The end result is rather impressive. At no point does the robot look in any danger of falling off the tightrope, but the arms are hard at work the entire time ensuring balance is maintained.
If you are wondering what happened to PRIMER V3, that was Dr. Guero’s first attempt at a robot that could walk while balancing itself. It worked, but required a surface big enough for its feet to stand on. However, it is still very impressive as the video below shows.