New Delhi, India

Researchers on Monday (September 9) announced that they have created the first robotic leg which has "artificial muscles" that help them jump across a range of surfaces. 

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These "artificial muscles" are oil-filled bags which will help machines move like humans.

In a video, the small and disembodied robot leg was seen hopping over grass and rock along with a new study in Nature Communications.

Also Read: Robots set to clean international airport in Thiruvananthapuram in what could be a first for India

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To everyone's surprise, this muscle-powered robotic leg can carry out complex movements like adapting and jumping on uneven terrain.

Humanoid robots to carry out 'boring labour' in houses?

Speaking to AFP, study co-author Robert Katzschmann said that the researchers can use this technology in future for making humanoid robots which can help out with "boring labour" around the house.

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“If we combine the robotic leg in a quadruped robot or a humanoid robot with two legs, maybe one day, when it is battery-powered, we can deploy it as a rescue robot,” said Katzschmann, one of the lead developers from ETH Zurich. 

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The robotics professor at Switzerland's ETH Zurich University further explained that conventional humanoid robots have been built using motors and rigid metal joints which are similar to those that have been used on factory construction lines. 

Is it safe to bring such muscle robots into houses?

Apart from being very expensive, these muscle-built robots can prove to be dangerous if they get entry into the houses of people.

If one were to "fall on you, it is going to be quite painful", said Katzschmann.

He added that a future robot helper needs to not only carry heavy things but "also give someone a hug or shake hands".

The study's co-author Thomas Buchner explained that “as soon as we apply a voltage to the electrodes, they are attracted to each other due to static electricity. Similarly, when I rub a balloon against my head, my hair sticks to the balloon due to the same static electricity.” 

Watch: World robot conference in Beijing: 27 humanoid robots in display

When such robots are paired on a skeleton, these actuators mimic the “paired muscle movements of living creatures” by creating one muscle's contraction one muscle while extending the other.

The scientists explained that the musculoskeletal system is “elastic” because of which they can flexibly adapt to the terrain.

“It’s no different with living creatures. If we can’t bend our knees, for example, walking on an uneven surface becomes much more difficult. Just think of taking a step down from the pavement onto the road,” Katzschmann said.

“On the infrared image, it’s easy to see that the motorized leg consumes much more energy if, say, it has to hold a bent position,” Buchner further said in the press release.

(With inputs from agencies)