The latest version of Raibo2 can walk continuously for 43 km on a single charge, more than doubling the previous record of 20 km set by other quadrupedal robots. (Image courtesy of KAIST)
SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – A quadrupedal robot developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has become the first of its kind to complete a full marathon, marking a significant milestone in robotics technology.
The robot, named Raibo2, finished the 2024 Sangju Persimmon Marathon’s full course (42.195 km) in 4 hours, 19 minutes, and 52 seconds on November 17 at the Sangju Citizen’s Stadium in North Gyeongsang Province.
The achievement was announced by a KAIST research team led by professor Hwangbo Jemin from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
The Sangju Persimmon Marathon course presents significant challenges even for amateur human runners, featuring two hills with elevations of approximately 50 meters at the 14 km and 28 km marks.
For walking robots, such a course poses unique difficulties as they must withstand periodic vibrations caused by ground impact during locomotion.
The achievement was announced by a KAIST research team led by professor Hwangbo Jemin from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
The research team made several technological breakthroughs to enable this achievement. They integrated motor driver circuits internally to minimize actuator loss and increase control bandwidth, significantly improving walking efficiency and stability.
Hwangbo also developed a custom simulation environment called Raisim, which allowed the team to create a walking controller through reinforcement learning algorithms. The robot was tested in various simulated conditions including slopes, stairs, and icy surfaces.
A key innovation was the robot’s joint mechanism, which features high force transparency. This allowed Raibo2 to efficiently recover and store energy while moving downhill, which could then be partially utilized for climbing steep inclines.
The latest version of Raibo2 can walk continuously for 43 km on a single charge, more than doubling the previous record of 20 km set by other quadrupedal robots.
“This demonstration proves Raibo2′s capability to perform delivery and patrol services in urban environments,” said doctoral candidate Lee Chung-in, a co-first author of the research. “Our next step is to enhance Raibo’s autonomous navigation capabilities and work toward achieving world-leading walking performance in mountainous and disaster-stricken environments.”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
