Science & Nature

Meet Bex, the quadruped robot that can run, squat and even carry you around!

Kawasaki engineers have demonstrated Bex, a quadruped robot that moves and acts like the Ibex

The latest robot Japanese engineers are gifting to the world looks like an Ibex. This year’s International Robot Exhibition organised in Japan’s Tokyo witnessed Kawasaki engineers rolling out a quadruped robot that moved and acted like the wild goat we all know of.

And true to the Ibex it got its inspiration from, the engineers that made the robot has named it Bex. So Bex is a quadruped robot that has the ability to walk and roll around. Bex will also let you get on top of it and order it around as it carries you wherever you want to go.

Kawasaki’s attempt towards giving shape to a robust humanoid platform as part of a project called ‘Kaleido’ has resulted in the birth of Bex.

Bex is a charmer to the core

Earlier too, similar efforts had been made by robotics engineers that acted like human-like. But this one is completely different, in such a way that it can walk around and even squat.

Bex comes with wheels on its knees and so it can squat down to its knees, locks its joints and fire up a motor that drives the robot around like a motorised vehicle, said a report. Besides all that, Bex can carry cargo up to 100 kilograms. That means it can carry crops, humans and other weight with ease and move around with no hassle whatsoever.

The many capabilities of Bex was demonstrated at the International Robot Exhibition, with the Kawasaki team of engineers getting on top of it and riding around much to the amazement of onlookers.

To make it even more different that those outed by peers, Kawasaki engineers have also added some sprucing up to Bex, by throwing in a bunch of flashing lights that run up and down its neck and antlers.

Bex can walk on uneven terrain too

Though Bex takes off from the idea of an Ibex, the quadruped robot can be tweaked in any way. For instance, the engineers have offered the option of changing the head to something that resembles a horse or any other animal. Even if you decide to go without the head, Bex will walk, run or carry you around without any complaints. 

The engineers have given Bex the ability to manoeuvre uneven terrain too. That makes it a safer bet for humans who would want to make use of its services. It remains to be seen whether Kawasaki would make it a commercial model. Let’s hope they will think about doing that. For, Bex is a charmer to the core. 

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Sanjeev Ramachandran

A journalist with 23 years of experience, Sanjeev has worked with reputed media houses such as Business Standard, The Ne More »
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