Humanoid robots are intended to become more and more like people. But walking on two legs - one of the characteristic features of the human being - continues to pose particular problems to these machines. Dr. Daniel Renjewski of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), together with his colleagues at Oregon State University, has developed a robot whose gait comes closer than ever before to that of humans. The results of their study could also be used to develop better prostheses.
When we walk, we are not consciously aware of the structure of the ground. Our body has the ability to automatically compensate for small uneven patches without tripping or coming to a standstill. ...
