BigDog Quadraped Robot

**Major Tom** · 7th-June-2006

Just seen a link to this on another website.

From Boston Dynamics (http://www.bdi.com/index.php) comes this odd-looking, gasoline-powered robot that looks like two guys carrying a couch, but acts almost alive.

"BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog's legs are articulated like an animal's, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule, measuring 1 meter long, 0.7 meters tall and 75 kg weight.

BigDog has an on-board computer that controls locomotion, servos the legs and handles a wide variety of sensors. BigDog's control system manages the dynamics of its behavior to keep it balanced, steer, navigate, and regulate energetics as conditions vary. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a laser gyroscope, and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature, rpm, battery charge and others.

So far, BigDog has trotted at 3.3 mph, climbed a 35 degree slope and carried a 120 lb load."

Heres the video:
[ame="http://youtube.com/watch?v=YUoW43Xq7ts&search=sensor"]YouTube - BigDog Quadraped Robot[/ame]

[media]http://youtube.com/watch?v=YUoW43Xq7ts[/media]AWESOME.

**Marx** · 9th-June-2006

Wow, that is pretty damn ugly (it just can't stand still, can it?) but - but the potential? Again...WoW. That was cracking, seeing it move over various terrains, include broken slab/rock/stone, snow, flat... I can see a few adjustments would enable it to become one serious machine to contend with. The kicking it over (or trying to) was astounding, to see it's legs shift & rebalance itself from a near topple was awsome..

Yeah, I'll take two!

**Marx** · 8th-April-2007

On the subject of potential...

Link:

ThisÂ’ll lick Â’em: K9 set to join the war effort

A soldier's best friend could soon be a robotic dog. The American military is developing robots the size of doberman pinschers to carry ammunition, food and other equipment into battle alongside troops.
A prototype of Â“BigDogÂ” weighing 11st has been built by the same Pentagon agency that pioneered stealth aircraft and will be used on terrain that is too rough for wheeled vehicles.
It is powered by a petrol engine and its legs are articulated like a dogÂ’s to absorb shock and recycle energy between steps. It can cross a 3ft ditch with a load for two soldiers packed into its saddle bags and can clamber up a rock-strewn 35-degree hill.
Military chiefs hope their special forces will be able to use the robot on operations such as the hunt for Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters in the mountains of Afghanistan. However, it is still some way off deployment as the prototype can travel at only 3.3mph. A faster robot that can move at the pace of a middle distance runner is being developed.
Â“BigDog is going to give us the ability to have a mechanical mule to follow us around in the field and carry a couple of hundred pounds of supplies,Â” said John Main, programme manager at AmericaÂ’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency.
BigDog is controlled by an on-board computer. A video camera at the front acts as eyes for an operator. Other sensors monitor BigDogÂ’s hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature and battery charge.
It is not the first time the US has turned to the animal kingdom for battlefield inspiration. When GIs suffered difficulties with tropical terrain during the Vietnam war, the same agency dreamt up a mechanical elephant.
The machine was a flop and never made it into operation. Its only visible legacy is the walking robots that George Lucas pitted against Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films.

**chevalier** · 8th-April-2007

That thing is cool give it super hearing so it can hear femspeak and warn me in time and I'll take 4.

**Marx** · 26th-June-2012

Looks like they've got it working as a bipedal robot now...

Terminator shall soon be upon us.. Yeek!

PETMAN is an anthropomorphic robot developed by Boston Dynamics for testing special clothing used by US military personnel. PETMAN balances itself as it walks, squats and does calisthenics. PETMAN simulates human physiology by controlling temperature, humidity and sweating inside the clothing to provide realistic test conditions. PETMAN development is lead by Boston Dynamics, working in partnership with Measurement Technologies Northwest, Oak Ridge National Lab and MRIGlobal. The work is being done for the DoD CBDP. For more information about PETMAN visit us at Boston Dynamics: Dedicated to the Science and Art of How Things Move..

**Marx** · 26th-June-2012

Not sure how relevant this is, but here's a lengthy documentary (that I've not had time to review...)

History Channel's "That's Imposible" program points the artificial intelligence's potential and shows today's technology by examples of stronger, emotionless, faster, incessant killing machines..The episode includes Darpa's projects and also civilian Japanese robots..The ultimate goal is autonomous robots that can decide on their own..and it is closer than we think..and don't forget that the most of the technology is still highly classified..