Extreme Pogo Stick Uses Robotic Leg Technology

The pogo stick, once just a springy toy that helped kids hop a few inches off the ground, has evolved into high-performance equipment for extreme athletes, capable of launching people eight feet or more into the air. And arguably the most extreme of these new sticks is the “BowGo,” developed at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute.


The top pogo athletes in the world will have their annual gathering in Pittsburgh this month at a four-day extravaganza, Aug. 19-22, called Pogopalooza. Several will be aboard newly built versions of BowGo that get their bounce from a fiberglass bow of high tensile strength.

“It’s the smoothest ride of any of the extreme pogo sticks,” said Nick Ryan, the organizer of Pogopalooza and a rising junior majoring in both English and public policy at Carnegie Mellon. “Athletes riding BowGos are favored to win the high jump event, possibly clearing 9 or 9 ½ feet.”

Autonomous Navigation System

Head: Alonzo Kelly and Anthony (Tony) Stentz




Overview
In the Future Combat Systems ANS program, the National Robotics Engineering Center will assist the program lead, GDRS, to design, develop, integrate, test and manufacture a system capable of autonomously controlling any of several vehicles designated by the Army, including the Multi-functional Utility Logistics Equipment (MULE) platform, the Armed Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) and Manned Ground Vehicles. The ANS program will provide navigational, perception, path-planning and vehicle-following algorithms, as well as the requisite on-board sensor package for autonomous mobility. The NREC will lead the development of perception and path planning within the Autonomous Navigation System, and will assist with perception and world modeling

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The University of British Columbia, established in 1908, educates a student population of 50,000 on major campuses in two cities and holds an international reputation for excellence in advanced research and learning.

The largest is 30 minutes from the heart of downtown Vancouver, a spectacular campus that is a 'must-see' for any visitor to the city -- where snow-capped mountains meet ocean, and breathtaking vistas greet you around every corner.




The Vancouver campus boasts some of the city's best attractions and recreation facilities, including the Museum of Anthropology, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts , the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research , and endless opportunities to explore forested trails in the adjoining 763-hectare Pacific Spirit Regional Park.

Our second major campus is in the dynamic Southern Interior city of Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. UBC Okanagan, open since 2005, provides an intimate learning community in the spectacular wine-growing region of British Columbia.

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