---
title: "Google’s Two-Legged Robot Puts Other Bipeds to Shame"
description: "The founder of Schaft, which is one of the robotics companies that Google acquired three years ago, recently showed off its latest development. A short bipedal robot that doesn't fall down."
date: "2016-04-11"
modified: "2016-04-11"
authors:
  - name: "Adeel Shaffi"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/adeel-shaffi"
url: "https://futurism.com/googles-two-legged-robot-puts-bipeds-shame"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Google"
tags:
  - "andy rubin"
  - "SCHAFT"
  - "X"
---

# Google’s Two-Legged Robot Puts Other Bipeds to Shame

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Image-A-22.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://twitter.com/RakutenToday/" target="\_blank"\>Rakuten Today\</a\>\</em\>*

One of the keynote speakers of the New Economy Summit (NEST) 2016 is Andy Rubin, former robotics head at Google. And he's brought with him a nifty little toy.

Back in 2013, the company bought several of the most promising robotics companies, including [Schaft](<http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/schaft-robot-company-bought-by-google-darpa-robotics-challenge-winner>), winner of the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials. No news came from the company since the acquisition, only that they're part of X, Google's semi-secret research and development.

But during the summit, Rubin showcased Schaft's newest creation: A bipedal robot. Along with Schaft co-founder and CEO Yuto Nakanishi, Rubin [unveiled the robot](<http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/shaft-demos-new-bipedal-robot-in-japan>) and video of the amazing things it can do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyZE0psQsX0

The video shows the robot climbing stairs, carrying a 60 kg (132 pound) payload, and stepping on a pipe while keeping its balance. It can also move in tight spaces, climb a narrow staircase, and clean a set of stairs with a spinning brush and a vacuum attached to its feet.

Finally, the robot is seen outdoors, negotiating rough terrain, slippery rocks, and snow.

The robot, yet unnamed, is not yet a product or clear indication of SCHAFT's future products, merely a show of progress, according to an X spokesman at NEST.