The future of search-and-rescue robots might be centaur, not human

What has six legs, four wheels, and two karate-chopping hands? Why, it's Centauro — a new search-and-rescue robot built by researchers from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia.

Centauro is the latest experiment by scientists to find the most adaptable and useful body-shape for robots designed to help in disasters. Usually, these machines are built like humans, with two arms and two legs, but researchers are increasingly finding that hybrid designs offer more flexibility. With its four wheeled legs, Centauro is more stable than a humanoid bot, but still retains the two forward-facing arms needed for manipulating objects like tools and doors. (Or, as in the video below, karate-chopping some plywood for fun.)

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