Watch This Robotic Cheetah Bound Off Its Leash and Through MIT's Field (VIDEO)

MIT researchers have not only successfully created a robotic cheetah, but have given it the ability to bound across a field without being tethered. The new robot could just represent a new method to create speedy robots.

The robot itself is a sleek, four-legged assemblage of gears, batteries and electric motors. It's actually as light as its biological, feline counterpart. While a living cheetah can sprint up to 60 mph, though, the robot is a bit slower; it has only managed 10 mph thus far, though researchers believe that it could go as fast as 30 mph.

The key to the bounding robot is an algorithm that gives it the ability to speed along flat surfaces. Each of the robot's legs are programmed to exert a certain amount of force in the split second during which it hits the ground, in order to maintain a given speed. The faster the speed, the more force that needs to be applied.

"Most robots are sluggish and heavy, and thus they cannot control force in high-speed situations," said Sangbae Kim, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, in a news release. "That's what makes the MIT cheetah so special: You can actually control the force profile for a very short period of time, followed by a hefty impact with the ground, which makes it more stable, agile and dynamic."

Bounding is an entry-level high-speed gait when it comes to animals while galloping is the ultimate speedy run. As an animal bounds, its legs touch the ground for a fraction of a second before cycling through the air again. The faster an animal runs, the less time the legs spend on the ground and the more time they spend in the air.

The researchers found that the robot was able to successfully run without falling at progressively higher speeds. This, in particular, shows that this robot has huge future potential.

Want to see the robot for yourself? Check out the video below, courtesy of MIT and YouTube.