Bex is a Kawasaki robo goat. What exactly is it and why was it created?

Last week at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo, Kawasaki decided to confuse a bit in the segment of four-legged robots and instead of betting on a dog, it put on … a goat. Meet Bex, it’s nothing but a robo-goat and one of Kawasaki’s most unusual creations.

Kawasaki showed its robo-goat Bex, which thanks to its modularity can abandon the inspiration of nature in favor of something less … bizarre

The reason why Kawasaki decided to model its four-legged robot Bex on the wild goat species in Eurasia and Africa, we will not reveal to you, because it is probably only known to the originator himself, who did not reveal the secret about his decision. We know, however, that the Bex robo-goat was created as part of the company’s Kaleido program, under which the company has been working on bipedal robots since 2015.

In its endeavors, Kawasaki wanted to develop a robot that could both quickly move over smooth terrain and move through difficult terrain. Alpine goat fans can applaud the company, because a robot based on this species actually makes even theoretical sense, as this species is known for its impressive “travel” skills.

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In practice, the Bex robo-goat has a set of wheels on its lap, which allows it to move faster on smooth surfaces. However, it can also use robotic legs, overcoming more difficult terrain, even when loaded with a 100-kg load, and interestingly, it will not end with the design and demonstration of the prototype. Bex will transport materials and conduct remote inspections of industrial plants, although in reality it may not look like a goat then, because its upper half is fully modular.