Duke University Researchers Develop Omnidirectional Robot Named Argus

Duke University researchers have developed a robot called Argus that can move and sense equally in any direction. The machine has 20 telescoping legs extending from a central core, each fitted with a depth-sensing camera. Engineering professor Boyuan Chen led the project.

His team replaced conventional body symmetry with what they call dynamic symmetry, allowing the robot to accelerate uniformly without needing to face a particular way. In field tests, Argus navigated sandy beaches and forest undergrowth. It rolled over obstacles, stabilized after collisions, and climbed between parallel brick walls using alternating leg motions.

The researchers introduced a design principle called dynamic isotropy. It scores robots from 0 to 1 on how evenly they can accelerate in every direction. 6. Graduate student Jiaxun Liu, a co-author of the study, said the robot continued to function even when motors failed or legs broke.

The study was published online Wednesday in the journal Science Robotics. Chen said the same principle could apply to search-and-rescue robots, underwater vehicles, aerial drones, or grippers that manipulate objects without a fixed orientation.