Chinese cat robot that always sticks landing could revolutionise asteroid mining, scientists say

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Chinese scientists have built a cat-inspired robot designed to adjust its posture and stick its landing even in low-gravity environments, an advance that could revolutionise the exploration of asteroids. Scientists checked whether the robot and its newly developed control system could potentially manoeuvre in low-gravity celestial environments like asteroids. open image in gallery Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft snapped pictures of the asteroid Ryugu while flying alongside it two years ago In such space environments, researchers say even small imbalances and slight miscoordination between the legs of such a robot can cause it to tumble and crash. open image in gallery Chinese cat-inspired robot learns to land on its feet using machine learning It learned to adjust its movements for a stable landing in about seven hours, scientists say, according to South China Morning Post.