U of M's MABEL the Robot Shows Off Her Moves

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WJBK) - "MABEL -- M is for Michigan. A is for anthropomorphic. B is for biped. E is for electric and L is for leg," University of Michigan robotics professor Jessy Grizzle explained.

MABEL is kind of a big deal. She is a robot who can walk without falling when the terrain changes.

In a lab at U of M, they have succeeded in duplicating that moment when you step off a curb you are not expecting and instead of falling, you recover.

"Most robots would be flat on their face. MABEL takes it gracefully and keeps on walking. It's really amazing," said Grizzle, who heads up the project.

MABEL is but one stage in an ongoing evolution. The next robot, ATRIAS, will be even more sophisticated. Eventually, this all could lead to say robotic firefighters going into burning buildings. Grizzle offered another option.

"If you can make a machine respond properly, then you can start building exoskeletons to help people who are paralyzed."