ATRIAS, which stands for Assume The Robot Is A Sphere, is a robot developed by engineers at the University of Oregon (OSU), is a walking and running robot that its designers hope will become the fastest bipedal robot in the world. The sturdy robot was designed to immitate the running style of birds, such as chickens, that spend most of their time on the ground.

“When this robot gets up to speed for walking, not even running yet, it will be the fastest bipedal robot in the world,” Jonathan Hurst, an associate professor and robotic expert in the OSU College of Engineering, told KWG.com.

ATRIAS uses a lightweight, four bar carbon fibre leg mechanism. Fiberglass springs serve as a means of suspension for the legs as well as providing mechanical energy storage and reducing the battery power requirements. According to the designers the leg design allows for more dynamic maneuvers.

“ATRIAS is designed to move like a simple “spring-mass” model, a theoretical model which is comparable to a pogo stick. This springy model can both walk and run with remarkable energy economy and in a fashion highly similar to humans and other animals. By building ATRIAS like this model, we are targeting similar performanc,” reads the website.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) is being designed with search and rescue in mind, as most of the current generation of robots seem to be. However, the team behind the OSU version of ATRIAS believe that the design could also be used to provide more natural movement to prosthetic limbs.

In tests, which can be viewed on YouTube, the robot demonstrated its balance and agility as it was kicked and pushed by a researcher, and withstood a barrage of dodgeballs.

“This ability to maneuver quickly and efficiently is ATRIAS’ primary goal, which shapes its unusual mechanical design. Robots don’t typically have such spindly legs, such tiny feet, or big springs attached to their motors. But those springs absorb and recycle energy that would be ordinarily lost with every step. The lightweight shins and thighs reduce shock loads when its legs swing and hit the ground. Like a high-end sports car, all of ATRIAS’ mechanisms are designed and tuned to cooperate with each other and enable maximum performance,” say the researchers.

Other ATRIAS prototype robots are being designed at the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University.

A live demonstration of ATRIAS is planned for the DARPA Robotics Challenge in Pomona, CA on June 5-6, 2015.

That event is expected to be the largest robotics gathering in history, to date. Virtually the entire robotics industry and thousands of spectators will be in attendance.

The headline event will be a competition which requires robots to “…drive a tractor to the disaster site, climb over rubble, cut through a wall with an electric drill, open and walk through a series of doors, turn a pressure-relief valve, and perform a variety of other emergency-related functions.” A $2 million prize goes to the designers of the winning robot.