"Imagine a robot that can't decide whether it wants to be a dog or a person, so it just becomes both. That's essentially what Hong Kong's Direct Drive Technology has created with the D1, a shape-shifting machine that's making waves in the robotics world. This isn't your typical tech demo that looks cool but has zero practical use. The D1 is a seriously clever piece of engineering that addresses a real problem: different terrains require different types of movement."
"Need to haul something heavy across rough ground? The D1 becomes a stable four-legged robot that can carry up to 220 pounds without breaking a sweat. Got a narrow hallway or smooth surface to navigate? It splits into two sleek bipedal units that roll along at speeds up to 7 mph. Designer: Direct Drive What makes the D1 truly fascinating is its modular design philosophy. Rather than trying to create one robot that does everything mediocrely, Direct Drive Technology took a different approach."
The D1 is a modular, shape-shifting robot that operates as either two independent bipedal units or a combined four-legged unit. The quadruped configuration offers stability and can carry up to 220 pounds across rough terrain, while the separated bipedal units can roll at speeds up to 7 mph for narrow or smooth environments. Each half weighs about 54 pounds and runs on a lithium battery that provides over five hours of operation per two-hour charge. A Jetson Orin NX 8GB running Ubuntu enables remote control and autonomous decisions, allowing the system to split or dock based on terrain. Real-world tests show robust fall recovery and water traversal.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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