Ford partners with University of Michigan on robotics research, new building

In a frame grab from video, robots walk across the floor of the University of Michigan’s Ford Motor Co Robotics Building, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. People one day may see a robot similar to Digit emerge from a driverless vehicle, stroll across their lawn and leave a package at the door of homes in their neighbourhood, according to Washington. — AP

ANN ARBOR, Michigan: Digit marches on two legs across the floor of the University of Michigan’s Ford Motor Co Robotics Building, while Mini-Cheetah – staccato-like – does the same on four and the yellow-legged Cassie steps deliberately side-to-side.

A grand opening was held Tuesday for the four-story, US$75mil (RM308.85mil), 134,000-square-foot (11,429-square-meter) complex. Three floors house classrooms and research labs for robots that fly, walk, roll and augment the human body.