MIT’s robo-cheetah can now run around without a tether

MIT’s Cheetah robot has finally been let off the leash — and boy can it run. Watch as it bounds across a grass field, and even jumps over a hurdle. It isn’t quite up to the evolutionary magnificence of its biological counterpart, which can hit 60 mph in a couple of seconds, but it’s still pretty impressive. It’s also notable that MIT’s Cheetah is battery powered, which makes it a lot quieter than other similar gasoline-powered robots that sound like a swarm of angry bees. “Our robot can be silent and as efficient as animals. The only things you hear are the feet hitting the ground,” says MIT’s Sangbae Kim.