Laibo 2, a quadruped robot developed in South Korea, has become the first robot to ever complete a full marathon on a single charge after running the 42.195-km Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon.

Developed by Professor Hwangbo Je-min and his team at the Korea Advanced Insitute of Science and Technology, Laibo 2 is an advanced quadruped robot designed with a focus on endurance. It recently became the first robot to run a full marathon after completing the 22nd Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon in Sangju, South Korea with a respectable time of 4 hours, 19 minutes, and 52 seconds, on a single charge. The 42-kg robot had to navigate difficult terrain, including two relatively steep hills, gauge its distance from the other runners, and maintain course, all the while mitigating power consumption to ensure it reached the finish line.

In September of last year, Laibo 2 failed its first attempt at completing a marathon. During the Geumsan Ginseng Festival Marathon, it ran out of battery after 37 kilometers, about 10 kilometers faster than its designers participated. The failed attempt showed the team that the robot was not able to maintain a constant speed throughout the race, because of the other racers, and the constant braking and accelerating took a toll on the battery. They went back to the drawing board, and came back with an improved system.

Not only did this year’s version of the Laibo 2 quadruped robot have a considerably larger battery capacity, but it also featured an AI-powered system that allowed it to store kinetic energy generated when going downhill. According to Hwangbo Je-min, the AI component was crucial, as it would have been impossible for a quadruped robot to store kinetic energy in its battery without AI control.

Two cameras mounted on the front of the body and the tail detected surrounding terrain features, while sensors mounted on the joints detected movement to minimize power consumption. These new systems allowed Laibo 2 to efficiently mitigate all types of terrain and avoid collisions with the other participants during this month’s Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon.

Laibo 2 completed its first full marathon (42.195 km) in just under 4 hours and 20 minutes on a single charge, and its creators claim that the improvements they made can help it run up to 67 kilometers in a straight line. The robot’s eight-hour battery autonomy is said to surpass that of Spot, Boston Dynamics’ famous quadruped robot.

 

In the future, Dr. Hwangbo and his team will strive to improve Laibo 2’s walking performance in mountainous and disaster environments.