PREVIEW

Swiss scientists have programmed a remarkable robot to do ‘parkour’ and stylishly vault obstacles. ETH Zurich researchers used machine learning to teach their robot, ANYmal, new skills. ANYmal can now scale obstacles and perform dynamic manoeuvres to jump back down from them. In the process, ANYmal learned like a child would – through trial and error. Now, when presented with an obstacle, ANYmal uses its camera and artificial neural network to determine what kind of impediment it’s dealing with. It then performs movements that seem likely to succeed based on its previous training. The new skills it learned aren’t just for show - as it can now traverse the kind of tricky terrain commonly found on building sites or in disaster areas.