Year 2024 : Dawn of Legged Robots?

Robots have traditionally served roles in locomotion and manipulation across various domains, encompassing mobile robots, collaborative robots, drones, and more. The pivotal factors governing their efficacy are manipulation and locomotion in diverse environments and operational conditions. Legged robots, specifically, offer advantages such as off-terrain/on-terrain locomotion and a level of human-like interaction with their surroundings. Despite a half-century of their existence, understanding the challenges posed by legged robots has been a gradual process. Recently, however, they have begun to carve out a niche in the robotics community.

As we delve into the intricacies of what makes legged robots formidable, it becomes apparent that, over the past 50 years, these machines have started to establish themselves. Although still in nascent stages, legged robots are evolving into versatile entities, approaching autonomy in their operations. The year 2023 marked a paradigm shift in the perception of technocrats toward legged robots.

This discussion aims to encapsulate the technology, its imperative, and the future trajectory of legged robots as they continue to assert their presence in the realm of autonomous machines.