Real-world embodied AI through a morphologically adaptive quadruped robot

Robots are traditionally bound by a fixed morphology during their operational lifetime, which is limited to adapting only their control strategies. Here we present the first quadrupedal robot that can morphologically adapt to different environmental conditions in outdoor, unstructured environments. Our solution is rooted in embodied AI and comprises two components: (1) a robot that permits in situ morphological adaptation and (2) an adaptation algorithm that transitions between the most energy-efficient morphologies on the basis of the currently sensed terrain. We first build a model that describes how the robot morphology affects performance on selected terrains. We then test continuous adaptation on realistic outdoor terrain while allowing the robot to constantly update its model. We show that the robot exploits its training to effectively transition between different morphological configurations, exhibiting substantial performance improvements over a non-adaptive approach. The demonstrated benefits of real-world morphological adaptation demonstrate the potential for a new embodied way of incorporating adaptation into future robotic designs. The morphology of a robot determines how efficiently it can traverse different terrain. Nygaard and colleagues present here a robot that can adapt it's morphology when it is detecting different terrain and learn which configuration is most effective.

Automated summary

The study introduces the first quadrupedal robot capable of morphologically adapting to different environmental conditions in outdoor, unstructured environments. Through embodied AI and an adaptation algorithm, the robot transitions between the most energy-efficient morphologies based on currently sensed terrains, showing significant performance improvements over non-adaptive approaches. This demonstration highlights the potential for a new embodied way of incorporating adaptation into future robotic designs.