"Parkour-Proficient Quadruped Robot Masters Obstacle Navigation"

Researchers at ETH Zurich have enhanced the capabilities of the quadrupedal robot ANYmal, enabling it to perform rudimentary parkour moves and navigate rubble and tricky terrain. The robot's upgrades include improved proprioception, reinforcement learning, and model-based control, allowing it to jump across gaps, climb obstacles, and maneuver under obstacles. While ANYmal's advancements are impressive, challenges remain in scaling its capabilities to diverse and unstructured scenarios. Nonetheless, the research aims to increase the agility and capabilities of legged robots for applications such as search-and-rescue missions in challenging environments.