[Science World] Living with Robots, Will the 'Four-Legged Robot' Open the Door?

A dog robot that ‘walks’ on four legs instead of wheels. So-called ‘quadruped robots’ are gaining attention. Research and development in various fields have also become noticeably active. This means that the day when quadruped robots enter our daily lives is not far off. Why do people develop quadruped robots? Compared to ‘driving robots’ that roll using wheels, ‘walking robots’ are more difficult to make. Especially, four-legged animals can have various walking patterns, unlike two-legged animals such as humans. Since the way to maintain balance changes with each pattern, developing them as robots has been extremely challenging. However, thanks to the relentless efforts of scientists and engineers, most of these patterns can now be mimicked.

The first value of quadruped robots is likely as ‘pack animals.’ They can carry loads following humans and go anywhere. It is hard to find a better partner in extreme situations such as climbing and exploration. They also have great value for military use. Quadruped robots are probably the only type that can carry heavy shells and move regardless of terrain. Their value has already been proven in industrial use. They are actually deployed for monitoring and remote inspection at construction sites, gas, oil and power facilities, and public safety installations.

There are various quadruped robots worldwide, but the leader is undoubtedly ‘SPOT.’ The developer of this robot is the American company Boston Dynamics, which has been researching quadruped robots for over 20 years. SPOT began commercial supply in August 2020. Many places in Korea have already introduced SPOT. POSCO introduced SPOT at the No. 1 blast furnace in the Gwangyang Steelworks. Since it is dangerous for humans to work in front of the hot blast furnace, SPOT was deployed there. Its mission is to inspect the red heat condition of the furnace’s air vents, gas leaks, and cooling water leaks.

In this way, quadruped robots have practically been commercialized. However, they remain limited to some special cases and are still far from ‘popularization.’ Various studies are rapidly progressing to overcome this stage. The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) introduced the quadruped robot ‘HyQReal’ in 2020, capable of pulling a 3-ton airplane. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) also succeeded in climbing Mount Etzel in southern Zurich in 2022 using the quadruped robot ‘AnyMal.’ With such diverse challenges, quadruped robots are expected to become popular quickly. Although exact statistics are not yet available, a huge global market is anticipated.

Our preparation for this is solid. First, Hyundai Motor Company is the largest investor in Boston Dynamics, the developer of SPOT. Additionally, domestic technological capabilities are world-class. According to KAIST on the 6th, Professor Myung Hyun’s team won first place in the ‘Quadruped Robot Autonomous Walking Competition’ hosted at the ‘2023 International Conference on Robotics and Automation’ held in London, UK, from May 29 to June 2. It is a proud achievement, having defeated strong research teams including those from MIT.

The future is said to be a ‘robot world.’ Countless types of robots will enter our reality. Excluding ‘service devices’ that blur the line between robots and electronic products, quadruped robots may be the first robots in a world where humans and robots live together. Judging from the current trend, it seems highly likely.

Jeon Seung-min, Science and Technology Writer

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.