On land, the robot's double-jointed legs adopt a trotting gait, taking it to a top speed of 1.2 BL/s (body-lengths per second). Swimming in the water, it still manages a decent 0.54 BL/s.

The research found the school once again utilizing the ANYMal robot from its spinoff, ANYbotics. Here, the team outfitted the quadruped with specialty end effectors that hook onto ladder rungs.

Researchers have designed a system that makes an off-the-shelf quadruped robot nimble enough to walk a narrow balance beam -- a feat that is likely the first of its kind. Researchers in Carnegie ...