Quadruped Robot - FREAKY!
 

I don't know if any of you have seen this before but it is super cool, if a little freaky...

http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=BigDog

There's just something about the movement and the way it balances that's cool and creepy at the same time, even if the generator powering it is a little annoying.

It would be a pretty weird thing to meet on a dark night I'd think!

Early Beta version of it

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Damn robots! Like I ain't got enough problems already!

Thats awesome!

I think robots are stealing my luggage.

very cool and freaky at that

almost felt sad watching it as it struggled for balance on the ice patch - I let my 5 y/o son watch it later and it was funny as he felt the same sadness when it was on the ice

Me too when I first saw that video.

Did anyone check out the other robots they have? That wall climber is WICKED.

It's like a spider, sheep, bee, and backpack had an orgy.

At first, the leg joints look like two guys facing each other and simulating a robot, one walking forward, the other walking backward. The 2-stroke cycle engine adds to the creepiness. Sounds like an amplified mosquito from one of Roger Corman's horror flicks.

Sherwood

Must be running Linux. It didn't crash.

Almost Bambi like. I wonder if they shot it's mother too? :(

What was amazing in that segment, and the one that Wayne mentioned where the guy kicks it sideways, is the balance recovery that the thing has. It was staggering (pardon the pun) to me that the machine can display such animal-like reponses.

It made me think of the AT-AT walkers from Star Wars, but better. I think you'd have a hard time trying to trip this one up.

That's dudes in a suit man, lolol.

As for the real one in the first vid, all we need to do now is give it true AI and some machine guns, and the fun can really begin. What's the robot word for "SUBMIT"?

I could just imagine the engineers strapping a bunch of those body movement tracking balls to a deer, and then analysing the reaction to some dude kicking it in the midsection!

pretty amazing. lots of cool things have come out in the last few years with the help of DARPA.

Repeat: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/399348-video-army-s-new-robotic-mule-keeps-its-balance-ice.html

Oh yeah. Sorry.

I don't know how I missed that the first time but it's funny how the comments are the same but from different people.

My son and I were watching the Military Channel last week and there was a show on about the Marines training in a mock combat situation, one unit was stationed on top of a mountain and the other one had to take it.

The one attacking traveled at night and with all their gear on horseback. They still use horses! That was cool to see.


I am amazed at that technology but until they come up with a silent source to power them they will never work. Well, maybe in a heavy combat situation where noise is not a factor and brute force is.

The Terminator is not far off.

On the other hand, I can imagine seeing a dozen of those run across the desert at you would scare the poo out of you. They'd probably be quite difficult to stop with anything less than a direct hit with an RPG - or maybe I've seen to many video games.

The way that guy kicked it its no wonder robots will declare war against us and take over the world.