[staunch]

Why can't it move 10x or 100x faster? Is speed constrained by computation or something else?

[modeless]

Pertinent facts from one of their papers: http://www-clmc.usc.edu/publications/K/kalakrishnan-IROS2009...

The robot drives its motors at 400 Hz based on control signals coming in at 100 Hz from an external computer. 100 Hz is probably the limit of the sensing system they're using, which is a motion capture system external to the robot. (Notice the reflective marker balls on top of the robot and also on the terrain.) My guess is that's the limiting factor here, though supporting a higher rate would probably also require faster software, and I have no idea what the limb speed/precision limits of the robot are.

[mad44]

That is only a matter of time. Then we will have the "rat thing" from Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash. It was scary to watch the video.

[Deestan]

I think the proverb "you have to learn to walk before you can learn to run" applies quite literally here.

[pkulak]

I'd think the physics would change dramatically. It's probably a brand new problem to have it work at higher speeds.