Robotic Mountain Goat Can Perform Manual Tasks And Be Ridden On Too

Video screenshot via Project Kaleido

The year is 2022. Everything is biodegradable and we’re all riding goats.

A different species from Boston Dynamics’ Spot, this android mountain goat by Kawasaki Robotics is also a friend to humans and can be trained to carry out tasks without getting hungry or sick. However, its sturdy frame also allows it to withstand body weight and take human companions out on a ride.

‘Bex’, recently presented at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo under Kawasaki’s Kaleido robotics program, is modeled after the ibex, a wild goat native to parts of Eurasia and Africa (and yes, for once, they removed the ‘i’ for a more futuristic zing to the name).

The baaadass bot, whose full name is RHP Bex, is built for transportation and inspections. It can carry up to 220 pounds of cargo as well as scan places with a camera.

Video screenshot via Project Kaleido

Bex can be anything industrial partners want it to be, even if it means having to shapeshift from its mountain goat form. Kawasaki Robotics envisions the robot’s top half to be dynamic and fully modular, adaptable to fulfill specific tasks. Applications include carrying harvested crops around a farm and being equipped with sensors to better inspect environments.

Image via Kawasaki Robotics

“The upper body of Bex is not fixed and we are thinking of adapting it according to the application,” its designers describe.

Most notably, Bex has got the legs to take humans far. On its back are seats and handlebars for it to be ridden on—although, judging by footage provided, the journey would be pretty slow. On smooth ground, its knees can be converted into wheels for it to glide around quickly.

Image via Kawasaki Robotics

See the tech mountain goat at work in the video below:

[via SlashGear and Engadget, images via Kawasaki Robotics]