Caltech Creates Versatile ‘Morphobot’ That Can Fly, Drive, Walk, and Roll

Introducing the M4: the long-awaited artificial assistant that surpasses the era of robots. Developed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), this groundbreaking Morphobot is capable of seamlessly transitioning between walking, driving, and flying. With state-of-the-art electronics, motors, and a sophisticated computer system, the M4, also known as the Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot, can autonomously determine the most suitable form to adopt.

Over the years, we have seen the robotics industry develop from basic industry to what is now practically working wonders. Helped along the way by technology and artificial intelligence, robotics has stepped up its game to bring high-tech robots that are like humans, and the M4 is a prime example of this.

According to a report in Nature, the designer of the M4 installed huge wheels that swing and resemble the structure of a drone that can fly in seconds. In addition, it can climb steep hills using rotors as a power source. The robot also stands with the help of its two giant wheels and can walk at will.

According to The Verge, the M4 was designed by Mory Gharib, a professor of aerospace and bio-inspired engineering at Caltech, in collaboration with Alireza Ramezan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University.

M4 can move into eight different positions and can make its own decision with the help of artificial intelligence. It assesses the environment and changes its shape accordingly. It had the ability to take injured people to hospitals or explore other planets and distant worlds.

Not only does it have motion transformations and built-in AI, but it has a Jetson Nano processor, a tiny computer with Nvidia’s robotics focus. The design is inspired by meerkats and walruses.

“Our goal was to push the boundaries of robotic locomotion by designing a system that exhibits exceptional locomotion capabilities with a wide range of different locomotion modes,” Nature quoted Ramezan as saying.

Caltech says the real-life game changer was the artificial intelligence because it provided the most efficient combination of movements for control.