For as long as man has walked on two legs, he has dreamed of walking on two more that are a little further back and bridged by a second powerful horse-like torso. Until interspecies gene splicing becomes a thing, we will have to settle for a robotic analog. Such a thing in itself was once only possible in dreams, but thanks to a team of engineers in China, a wearable robot that effectively turns a person into a cyborg centaur is now possible.

Dreams do come true.

Hat tip to Futurism for bringing to our attention the work of researchers at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, who recently unveiled a prototype system that attaches a two-legged robotic platform behind a human wearer. The device, described in a paper published in The International Journal of Robotics Research, walks in sync with the user while carrying heavy loads that would normally sit in a backpack.

What a time to be alive.

We Finally Have A Robot That Turns Humans Into Centaurs

The system looks exactly as it sounds: a person walking normally while a pair of robotic legs strides behind them, horse-like or centaur-like, supporting the weight they would otherwise carry.

The robotic legs are versatile. They can follow a person upstairs or across uneven ground. The researchers say the system adapts to a user’s walking speed and direction while distributing weight through the robotic body rather than the human body. The research team did not comment on whether the system would still function properly if dressed up in the back half of a horse costume, though I’m sure they’ll get around to that eventually.

In tests, the team found that the centaur-style robot significantly reduced the user’s metabolic effort, meaning people carrying heavy loads used less energy while walking. The system may even provide forward assistance. According to the researchers, the robot can apply a gentle horizontal push while walking, helping propel the wearer along.

While it can be argued that a simple wheelbarrow is a cheaper, elegantly engineered solution to whatever problem the centaur robot is trying to solve, one thing a wheelbarrow will never be able to do is make you feel complete as you finally get to stride across a meadow bare-chested and with your powerful horse legs clopping behind you.