US Startup Creates Robot Centaur for Rescuers, Capable of Using Human Tools

California-based startup Satyress has created a remote-controlled robot named Threehalves, about two meters tall, designed for work in high-risk areas for humans. Its construction resembles a centaur: a human-like torso is mounted on a four-legged platform, which is expected to help it move confidently over rubble and rough terrain. The robot can use human tools on the fly, thanks to a modular limb system that allows changing its configuration by installing tools like a chainsaw, drill, or screwdriver within minutes. Threehalves is not positioned as autonomous: an operator controls it with a joystick from a safe distance. Developers paid special attention to emergency shutdown: the robot can stop after recognizing a raised palm gesture, and as a last resort, high-pressure cylinders can be punctured to mechanically immobilize it. Brakes also block mechanisms when power or pneumatic pressure is lost. The robot can fold for transport, with two fitting in a pickup truck bed, but its weight, payload, speed, battery life, connectivity range, and environmental resistance are undisclosed. Price, release date, and certification are also not announced, so Threehalves is primarily a promising prototype. The article also notes other centaur-like robots being developed in China and Japan.