Under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation, Square One has embarked on a research path aimed at developing a fundamentally new type of walking robot. By moving away from overly complex, biologically inspired templates, we have succeeded in creating a versatile mobility platform requiring a bare minimum of actuators. The resulting robot can walk on any compass heading, pivot in place, traverse uneven terrain and climb stairs. In addition to mobility, the design integrates six-axis dexterous manipulation resulting in a robot that represents the perfect blend of functional capabilities and mechanical austerity. Potential applications include explosive ordnance disposal, casualty extraction, undersea inspection and planetary exploration.

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