In a massive leap forward for autonomous robots, Cassie the running robot has completed an entire 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) run in 53 minutes, becoming the first bipedal robot to use machine learning to control an outdoor running gait. Developed by researchers from Oregon State University and Agility Robotics, the robotic pair of legs may open doors to a host of new animal- and human-inspired machines. What makes the feat so impressive is that Cassie learnt to walk by itself, using just machine-learning and a lot of failure to gain the balance and gait required to go for extended runs. Through these...