Robot completes entire marathon without recharging battery in world first

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. The RAIBO2 robo dog completed the 42 kilometre course in a time of four hours and 20 minutes – seven minutes faster than the average mass-participation time at the London Marathon last year. Built by engineers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the robo dog used reinforcement learning algorithms to navigate the tough terrain of the Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon, which includes two 50-metre elevation climbs. “In follow-up research, we will add autonomous navigation functions to RAIBO and strive to achieve the world’s best walking performance in mountainous and disaster environments.” Quadrupedal robots have become an increasingly popular way of performing dangerous jobs, such as patrolling security perimeters or surveying disaster zones. Earlier this month, a robot dog built by US robotics firm Boston Dynamics was seen performing security duties at the Florida residence of US President-elect Donald Trump.