Big Dog - Quadruped Robot

Pretty amazing balancing ability here no? Can you imagine sitting still in the woods and hearing/seeing one of these come up on ya?

BigDog uses a system of hyper-responsive hydraulic joints, sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes to keep it on its four legs. Boston Dynamics says the creature can run at 4 mph, climb slopes up to 35 degrees, walk across a wide range of terrain, and carry 340 pounds. It’s designed to go wherever humans would go, carrying their load without complaint or the urge to sniff the ground every six inches. It’s funded by DARPA, naturally.

www.popsci.com...

I assume it has cameras mounted on it, but it has no head feature. Guess it is not necessary. Hopefully these can serve civilian life as well as military purposes. 340 pounds allows it to carry a downed soldier/person too, that has to be useful in the field.
Anyway, I thought this was kinda cool and interesting.

Peace,
spec

If you search this topic, you'll find this on ATS in 2006.

reply to post by conspiracytheoristIAM

True, but this is the latest version with upgrades and improvements, much more agile than the earlier models.
From 5 years ago:

www.popsci.com...

Thanks though,
spec

This is soo old... you are barely finding out about this now... ?

they have full mech suits for soldiers, they have kill-drones that can go in a room and spray bullets in every single direction, they have hummingbird sized robots...

DARPA is EVIL

reply to post by STEADFast


Okay guys, it is old, but this article is from this month and this version is the latest and greatest, so

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


That thing is really cool from an engineering perspective. Saw it a year or two back - it's coming along. Cool thread, thanks.

CJ

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


I'm just not much a fan of these robots and drones...it seems obvious that in due time they'll be perfected and used against us.

Hmmm, I didn't see any terrain there that four wheels or two tracks couldn't go over quicker, quieter, more efficiently, and with less parts to go wrong. I guess re-inventing the wheel takes a lot more than five years.

Originally posted by conspiracytheoristIAM
reply to post by speculativeoptimist

 

I'm just not much a fan of these robots and drones...it seems obvious that in due time they'll be perfected and used against us.

Agree with the sentiment, but you can't hold back technology and progress. This can be used for good so let's see.

CJ

The very early version

reply to post by conspiracytheoristIAM


I understand that point too, seems inevitable, but just the novelty of it is kind of cool, and if it can be used in non-military or in a situation of aid, it may be a good thing.

reply to post by dainoyfb

I was thinking the same thing, and wondering what advantages this could have over a 'wheeled' model?
Thoughts?

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


Sure the concept is old, but the new model is well improved. Thanx for the updates. S+F!

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


I just hope we don't end up as fuel for it...




Military EATR Robot Could Feed On Dead Bodies On Battlefield

It could be a combination of 19th-century mechanics, 21st-century technology -- and a 20th-century horror movie.

A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find -- grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies.

I wonder how much load that thing can hold. I couldn't help but imagine a coffin on its back in the scene where it got off the plane. As if it were some type of wounded solider transport or something...

reply to post by SLAYER69

Yikes! Now that is somewhat surreal! It seems that the consumption of dead flesh is a bit far fetched(according to the revised articleVegetarian ), but we know how these things can sometime pan out. Now if they operate, as suggested on twigs,leaves, etc..,, that could be useful maybe.

“If it’s not on the menu, it’s not going to eat it,” Finkelstein said.
Read more: www.foxnews.com...

Sounds a little too easy huh? What happens when there are no menu items left?

Peace,
spec

reply to post by lastmanstanding

I wonder how much load that thing can hold.

340 pounds according to the article, but I'm not sure if that is fully dressed or not.

Originally posted by lastmanstanding
I wonder how much load that thing can hold. I couldn't help but imagine a coffin on its back in the scene where it got off the plane. As if it were some type of wounded solider transport or something...

Thats what it is made for. to carry a soldiers load and to carry an injured soldier back out of the battle

It's just 2 of MC Hammer's back up dancers running around with their head in a cammouflage box.

reply to post by blah yada


Touche'