7-foot centaur robot with chainsaw arms built for dangerous rescue missions
SMRTR summary
A seven-foot-tall, horned, four-legged robot that looks like something out of science fiction is turning heads, and it was built in a garage in Northern California.
Called Threehalves, the centaur-like machine was designed by engineer Beau G. and a small team to tackle dangerous tasks in hazardous environments, keeping humans safely out of the picture. Its quadruped design keeps it stable on rubble, steep slopes, and soft ash, where traditional robots would stumble or fall.
It swaps dexterous hands for a modular tool system, snapping on chainsaws, drills, or impact guns in minutes.
Meanwhile, Shanghai-based Run Robotics unveiled its own AI-powered centaur robot at WAIC 2026, combining wheeled speed with a humanoid upper body capable of operating equipment and assisting rescue teams. Its sensor suite creates what the company calls a closed perception-to-decision loop.
An automated production line is expected to launch before the end of this year. Threehalves has no pricing or release date yet.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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