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LimX Dynamics, a general-purpose legged robot company based in Shenzhen, China, released it W1 wheeled quadruped robot. Based on LimX Dynamics’ Motion Intelligence technology, W1 is equipped with perception and motion control algorithms and multiple proprietary actuators. 

The company said combining the advantages of legs and wheels, with real-time terrain perception, gives the W1 all-terrain mobility. LimX said it can address customers’ common pain points in B2B sectors such as industrial inspection, logistics, distribution, research, and education.

The robot uses LimX Dynamics’ in-house actuators to maximize the integrated capabilities of legged and wheeled structured robots. LimX said the actuators enable high-dynamic motion and all-terrain, obstacle-overcoming abilities.

“General-purpose legged robots are in a period of technological explosion, where the intersection of basic research and commercialization has emerged and continues to expand,” Wei Zhang, founder of LimX Dynamics, said. “We have chosen the wheeled quadruped robot W1 as our first flagship product at the right time. Creating an efficient universal chassis with all-terrain mobility anchors the optimal intersection of technology, application, and market for the upcoming future. Through top-tier technology, we are able to solve longstanding problems that have plagued the deployment of many-legged robots, allowing legged robots to truly enter the industry and create value.”

W1’s perceptive locomotion algorithms help it to successfully navigate challenging discrete terrains and some of the most complex non-wheeled scenarios, like stairs. The robot uses real-time gait planning and control to move up and down stairs. 

LimX said the robot’s morphological advantages and hardware and software capabilities mean it has high mobility efficiency, payload capacity, and cruising range. W1 is prepared for high dynamic motion, climbing stairs, ascending and descending slopes, road curbs, ground clearance, on-sided bridges, grass and slate roads, and gravel roads. 

To produce W1, LimX Dynamics has worked to master the core technologies of motion intelligence for legged robots. The company used academic and R&D experience in terrain perception, reinforcement learning, multi-rigid body dynamics, hybrid dynamics, and model predictive control to establish a leading algorithm framework that integrates perception and control, achieving higher stability and stronger real-time control capabilities. 

Switzerland-based Swiss Mile also makes a wheeled quadruped. A spin-off of ETH Zurich’s Robotic Systems Lab founded in 2010, Swiss Mile’s robot is based on the ANYmal quadruped from ANYbotics. The robot can travel at speeds up to 13.87 MPH (22.32 kilometers per hour) with a payload capacity up to 110 lb (50 kg) and is designed for applications such as last-mile delivery, mapping, inspection and more. Swiss Mile won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award in 2022.