Chinese retiree designs a robot horse
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Su Daocheng rides his home-made mechanical horse vehicle on a street in Shiyan, Hubei province January 18, 2015. (REUTERS/Stringe)
While many retirees take up interesting hobbies when they leave the workforce, Su Daocheng, 60, might be able to claim the title of most unusual post-work activity – designing a rideable robotic horse. Su built the robot that stands just under five feet and weighs about 550 pounds over a two-month period, according to CNET.
Su, who lives in the Shiyan, in the eastern Hubei province of Central China, is something of an avid inventor. He has created a mechanical robot and a helicopter designed for the road in the past. This time, his petrol-powered horse was inspired by the mechanical inventions of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang of the Shu Kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period about 1,800 years ago. Among Liang’s inventions was a “Muniuliuma,” which was a freight transport vehicle that moved military provisions over rugged terrain, reports China Daily.
Su’s horse contains a re-used go-kart engine, and is powered along by spring-loaded legs. The front of the robot is supported by wheels with the legs only for show, while the rear legs actually propel the horse forward.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}How useful is this contraption? For Su, designing the robotic animal was a practical hobby. The steel steed is meant to assist farmers. Adding to the mechanical animal’s appeal is the fact that, unlike a real horse, it does not require human care or food. All it needs is oil to run.