Watch Hector, the incredible stair-climbing robot stick insect, in action

Scientists at Bielefeld University in Germany have created a robot named Hector that mimics the movements of a stick insect. This enables it to walk over rough terrain and even climb stairs, which could come in useful for search and rescue missions or even exploring other planets.

Each of the six legs are controlled independently and contain sensors that enable it to detect and climb over objects in its way. Hector, which is short for hexapod cognitive autonomously operating robot, also has a total of 18 joints, each containing a drive that mimics the way a stick insect’s muscles act.

The robot is made from carbon fibre and plastic and weighs just 12kg (26lbs), but is able to carry loads up to three times heavier at 30kg (66lbs).

You can see Hector in action by watching the video below…

Discover more about the robots of the future in our World of Tomorrow feature in Issue 67 of How It Works magazine.