Salto the Tiny 'Parkour Robot' Now Bounces Off Walls in Every Direction
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have updated their monopedal jumping (or 'parkour') robot, Salto. Weighing mere ounces, it could crouch low, jump high, and bounce itself off walls. The small spinning tail it used to control its aerial orientation only allowed it to jump forward and backward. Now, the new and improved Salto-1P has two new thrusters, allowing it to adjust its orientation in the two other directions - known as roll and yaw. Salto-1P can bounce forward and backward many times over, move side to side to cover the entire floor of a room, and even traverse obstacles like foam blocks and a ramp.