A research team from Carnegie Mellon University in the United States has announced the development of the world's smallest known electric autonomous micro bipedal robot, Zippy. This robot is less than 4 centimeters tall, and with its sophisticated onboard battery, actuators, and control system, it can not only start autonomously, but also complete actions such as walking, turning, jumping, and climbing at a speed of 10 steps per second. The relevant achievements will be presented at the 2025 International Conference on Robotics and Automation of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in the United States. The research team stated that although the construction of micro bipedal robots is complex, they are of great significance. The bipedal design allows it to adapt to rugged terrain and has a greater maneuverability advantage than wheeled robots. They have successfully achieved a practical breakthrough in micro bipedal robots by simplifying their walking mechanism. The walking mystery of "Zippy" lies in the forward movement of the center of gravity when the front legs are lifted, coupled with the arc-shaped forefoot design, leaving sufficient swing space for the back legs, thus achieving large strides. This ingenious mechanical structure makes its stride frequency comparable to that of humans running at 31 kilometers per hour, setting a record for the running stride frequency of autonomous bipedal robots. The research team pointed out that this type of micro robot can penetrate into narrow spaces that are difficult for humans and other devices to reach, and can be applied in post disaster search and rescue, industrial inspection, geological exploration and other fields. Their next step is to equip "Zippy" with visual sensors, endowing it with positioning and autonomous navigation capabilities, and enabling it to perform complex tasks in hazardous environments through group collaboration in the future. (New Society)