Boston Dynamics' newest Robot of Doom

[Elder Iptuous]

OK, so you may remember Boston Dynamics from such hits as "Big Dog: Pack-mule of the Apocalypse" able to walk around carrying soldiers' tools of death, able to deftly deal with uneven terrain, external disturbances, and slick surfaces.

You may also remember "PETMan: Soon to feature Arnold's voice" which is supposedly a humanoid robot designed to act as a quality control device for hazmat suits, but is so over engineered for that purpose that it can walk, carry shit, do pushups, kneel down in that "i'm going to take a nice steady shot at you" pose, and actually looks like a goddamned terminator.

Now, they just broke the legged robot speed record with "Cheetah: you can't run fast enough".
it runs 18mph.

18MPH
(it's running to the left in that image, incidentally)
Jesus that's fast.

here's video of it chasing a terrorist sympathizer down your neighborhood street.
http://youtu.be/d2D71CveQwo

as further robotic tools of our bostonian overlords come out, i'll stick them in this thread.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

The reason why John Connor was never able to find Skynet is that he was on the wrong side of the continent.

I'm pretty sure it's located in the Prudential building, maybe the John Hancock building now.

[LMNO]

I can neither confirm nor deny the accusation.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

This is why we need the robot orphanage. Grovelling is our only hope.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Wow, that looks just like some of the drones in Gibson's world that were sent out to take down enemies of the state or more often some corporation.

[Triple Zero]

I had to think of the "rocket thing" in Snow Crash Even though it doesn't look like that, cause it's a bionic dog rocket without legs afaik.

Anyway

YIKES

[Elder Iptuous]

So DARPA has a new challenge that will be starting soon...
the Robotics Challenge!

from the FedBizOps site, the description is

The primary goal of the DARPA Robotics Challenge program is to develop ground robotic capabilities to execute complex tasks in dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environments. The program will focus on robots that can utilize available human tools, ranging from hand tools to vehicles. The program aims to advance the key robotic technologies of supervised autonomy, mounted mobility, dismounted mobility, dexterity, strength, and platform endurance. Supervised autonomy will be developed to allow robot control by non-expert operators, to lower operator workload, and to allow effective operation despite low fidelity (low bandwidth, high latency, intermittent) communications.

it is being put forward as a contest for disaster recovery capability. tasks planned for the challenge:
1. Drive a utility vehicle at the site
2. Travel dismounted across rubble
3. Remove debris blocking an entryway
4. Open a door and enter a building
5. Climb an industrial ladder and traverse an industrial walkway
6. Use a tool to break through a concrete panel
7. Locate and close a valve near a leaking pipe
8. Replace a component such as a cooling pump
9. Kill all humans... [i added this one myself, but....c'mon. it's DARPA right?]

here's their little marketing picture to go with the press releases:

Its a $2 Million booty to the winner.

So what does this have to do with Boston Dynamics?
well...
There's four 'tracks' for the competitors: Track A for developing a robot and software. Track B and C for developing control software (no hardware) to compete in a computer simulation(funded by DARPA and at own expense respectively). Track D for developing both a robot and software to enter in the competition.

DARPA has awarded the hardware platform to be used by those developing the control software to beeeeeee....
Boston Dynamics' PETMAN!
(well... it'll probably be a derivative thereof)
remember him?


It'll be fun to see this one play out!
Robotics is really starting to get interesting again in recent years!

[Elder Iptuous]

newest video of the Cheetah.
looks like they're making awesome progress.  we should be running for our lives in short order!
http://youtu.be/U5_OUfCPZd0

[Elder Iptuous]

Hey,  let's see what BostonDynamics is up to, shall we?

Ah!  The Big Dog robot that we all thought was consigned to the museum since they've replaced it with the LS3?  Well, i guess they're still working with it.
Look!  It appears that they have taught it a new trick!
http://youtu.be/2jvLalY6ubc
The LS3 is useful as a packmule, but if you want to have a large robot that can go through uneven terrain, and then thrown cinder blocks around like whiffle balls, i guess Big Dog is still your go-to robot.

[LMNO]

Holy shit.  That was impressive.  The way the legs compensated for the sudden changes of force and angular momentum, and then having the legs assist with the throw... whoa.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

DOOOOOOOOOM

[Elder Iptuous]

right?
i'd be scared shitless even if this thing was rescuing me from the rubble of an earthquake.   

[Don Coyote]

This is terrifying and exciting

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Hey,  let's see what BostonDynamics is up to, shall we?

Ah!  The Big Dog robot that we all thought was consigned to the museum since they've replaced it with the LS3?  Well, i guess they're still working with it.
Look!  It appears that they have taught it a new trick!
http://youtu.be/2jvLalY6ubc
The LS3 is useful as a packmule, but if you want to have a large robot that can go through uneven terrain, and then thrown cinder blocks around like whiffle balls, i guess Big Dog is still your go-to robot.

The hind legs look like they were put on backwards. Stronger that way?
God fucked up. 

[McGrupp]

That really is amazing the way it keeps its balance.

They've come a long way from their first version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXJZVZFRFJc