A new generation of robots is racing to outpace Olympic sprinters and animals like Cheetahs

A new generation of dexterous robots are making strides faster than ever before - literally. Advances in both mechanics and intelligent software designed after members of the animal kingdom - including humans - are pushing an increasing number of robotics companies closer to parity with the fastest members of their kind. As reported by Popular Mechanics, organizations like the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) have been plucking away at making a robot called the Planar Elliptical Runner (PER) - a bipedal bot that relies mostly on mechanics. A motor on PER drives the bots propulsion and moves its legs in an oval motion that help to balance weight and prevent it from tipping over. As The Verge notes, that locomotion is achieved without the use of sophisticated machine-vision that has found its way into other mobile robots.