Check out Atlas, Wildcat: The latest walking and running robots

Two new robots have caught the fancy of technology enthusiasts with their ability to walk and run, much like their human and animal counterparts.

One robot, Atlas, has been unveiled by theUS robotics company Boston Dynamics, a humanoid robot which can manage to keep its balance and walk upright on some extremely uneven terrain.

A video has been released by the robotics company which shows the new robot walking over some rocky terrain and keeping its balance, even though it looks a bit drunken in its attempt.

[caption id=“attachment_1160247” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A screengrab from the video of the Wildcat robot video. Image courtesy Youtube.[/caption]

The company uses a balance and control system to place the feet, swing the robot’s arms and keep its upper body upright.

The company has also released a video of the robot managing to balance on one foot even while repeatedly being struck by a ball.

The company Boston Dynamics released a statement saying that the robot controller uses “inertial, kinematic and load data from Atlas’ sensors.”

The second robot released by this company is called the WildCat and it can run up to 16 miles per hour, which translates to about twice the speed a human being can run.

Both robots are part-funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) and are part of the agency’s Maximum Mobility and Manipulation programme.

It’s a bit horse-like in its gait - the robot stomps its feet before starting, and ‘gallops’ as well.

The Wildcat is equipped with a roll cage and running on a 2-stroke go-kart engine, coupled with a hydraulic pump and does some nifty turns.

While some have already hinted that it could be the next military guard dog given its speed and ability to handle curves, as robotics expert Noel Sharkey told the BBC, the ultimate test may come when its forced to run through a muddy field.

Check out the video of the Wildcat during testing below: