05/04/10 — VT’s College of Engineering Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory have built CHARLI (Cognitive Humanoid Autonomous Robot with Learning Intelligence), the first untethered, autonomous, full-sized, walking, humanoid robot with four moving limbs and a head, built in the United States. As CHARLI takes his first steps, anxious onlookers stand ready to catch him if he falls. His stride is short, but upright, as one foot is placed in front of the other in the basement of Virginia Tech’s Randolph Hall. Students prepare CHARLI for his walk at the group’s Randolph Hall basement facility (From left) Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory students Taylor Young,…