3.05.2006

 

Amazing robotic horse

This robot is called BigDog, but it looks more like a small horse when you see it. And it's agility is amazing. Watch this video to see for yourself:

Video of BigDog

Photos are also available here:

The world's most advanced quadruped robot: "Boston Dynamics has released images and details of BigDog, which it is billing as the most advanced quadruped robot on earth. "

Comments:
Amazing to watch it recover from a kick in the ribs. The black leg 'trousers' make it look like two skinny guys facing each other in a 'horse' costume (O.K., yeah, where's the head?). But, the inventors certainly have to do something about that motor noise. - blzbob
 
OMG, this is the beginning of the real robotic revolution. Absolutely incredible. And it will only get more agile from here. Prepare yourself for robotic armies... My mind is reeling from this video. Totally Star Wars, man.
 
Yah, this is great. When can I buy one? LOL.
 
Metal GEAR! Oh, wait, no, ... sorry. Not yet.

We'll have to let the military play with this for a little longer.
 
Aibo, eat your heart out.
 
Definately breakthrough material.

(which is why I made a blogpost about this as well ;)

With robots that learn movements that look as natural as these, you are more or less forced to rethink your ideas on the glorified position we humans are supposed to have over 'mere' machinery.

I think that the artificial intelligence debate will start heating up only a few years from now, when robots start taking over jobs that require basic cognitive skills.
 
For pack-animal work in areas too dangerous for real animals (war zones or disaster sites) this will be a miracle.

On the other hand, can you imagine if someone got ahold of one of these, loaded it with explosives, and sent it into the rank and file? The results would not be good.
 
Well, I think that a great step in robots has been the development of artificial inteligence and the first human looking androids, probably made by this guy
http://www.ed.ams.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp/development/Humanoid/ReplieeQ2/download/Q2IntroductionENl.mpg
I see this mule robot rather clumsy, and I am not sure as how useful it can be in a time of gps guided misiles that can be fired 35 kms over our heads. This thing could be blown up quite easily. The biggest threat it would have wouldn`t be a kick in the ribs, don`t you think? Maybe more useful to substitute sherpas in the Himalaya or something.
However, certainly the stabilizer software for the legs seems to be briliant.
Regards
http://niquel757.blogspot.com
 
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