DARPA has selected six university research teams to compete to develop the best algorithms for controlling a robot puppy called LittleDog.

The goal is to identify the best adaptive strategy for moving over irregular surfaces.

The robot has three motored joints on each leg, and its movements are controlled precisely by an on-board computer. An internal gyroscope lets the robot sense its orientation, while an external motion-capture system monitors the precise position of each limb and joint as it moves.