Terminator Legs Walk With No Added Power

Seen here blowing a dapper old man's mind, a pair of metal Terminator legs go for a stroll on a treadmill without any motors or added power. Magic? No -- physics. Okay, magic.

"This robot is walking down a slope, and its only source of power is potential energy. It doesn't use any kind of motor or control, so we think it's very environmentally friendly."

"The robot has three main parts: thighs, lower legs, and ankles. It's made of aluminum, and it contains only mechanical components, which have been adjusted so that the robot has the same thigh and leg lengths as a person, and weighs the same."

In a walking test last year, this robot walked continuously for 13 hours, taking 100,000 steps and going 15 km. That achievement has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Aaaaaaaaah, it only works downhill -- I knew there had to be a catch. Man, that makes it like, way less impressive. I thought we were hot on the heels(!) of a perpetual motion machine, but nooooooooooooo. Hey scientists: you know what else can walk down hills? Wheels. Back me up, caveman. Caveman? *audience screaming* ...He's behind me dragging a woman around by the hair, isn't he?

Hit the jump for two videos, the second of which has human-sized "muscles" added to the legs to make them look even creepier.

Passive Walking Robot Propelled By It's Own Weight [diginfo]

Thanks to Carp, randxll and Sin Tank, who, quick -- I'll duck behind it and you push it over!

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