KAIST quadruped robot completes full marathon on a single battery charge

Researchers at KAIST introduced RAIBO2, a quadrupedal robot that successfully completed a full 42-kilometre marathon in North Gyeongsang Province, finishing in 4 hours 19 minutes 52 seconds on a single charge. The robot ran alongside human participants in the annual Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon, navigating asphalt, gentle slopes and temperature changes while telemetry tracked its voltage, motor heat and GPS position.

By co-designing the robot’s limbs, internal power system and gait algorithms, the team eliminated minute energy leaks, allowing the machine to consume roughly 1,280 watt-hours and retain enough reserve for a potential 65-km range. The accomplishment, detailed in the journal Nature, is the first marathon finish by a quadruped without recharging. A commercial spin-off, Raion Robotics, plans to mass-produce the platform for uses such as disaster response, perimeter security and hazardous industrial inspections. The breakthrough addresses the battery-life barrier that has limited real-world deployment of legged robots.