Swiss engineers teach Ascento 2 how to climb stairs

The Ascento robot was developed at the ETH Polytechnic Institute in Zurich. The second-generation device has superior balancing skills.

The robot has two limbs where the wheels are located and rolls on a flat surface jumping up when it meets an obstacle. The unique design enables it to keep its balance when on an uneven surface, and this robot can even climb stairs. This is due to its limbs, which react independently to changes and bends, keeping the body at the very same level, hence why Ascento could be called a real robot acrobat.

The weight of the robot with a maximum load is a little over 10 kg. Reaching speeds of up to 8 km/h and can overcome obstacles up to 40 cm in height and after a full battery charge will continue for an hour and a half. The developers provide a remote control mode, but the robot is wholly self-sufficient: with cameras, and various sensors allowing it to navigate it’s terrain independently.