DyRET robot adapts body using AI to walk in new environments

In our outdoor experiments, DyRET used a machine learning model, seeded with knowledge about the best leg configuration for a given combination of terrain hardness and roughness taken from the controlled tests. As the robot walks, it continuously predicts the best body shape for the terrain as it encounters it, while updating its model with measurements of how well it can walk. In our experiments, DyRET's predictions improve as it walks, allowing it to quickly generate efficient movements, even for terrain it hasn't seen before.