There’s something rather creepy about a headless, deer/dog-like quadruped robot that’s stumbling through the forest on a secret mission. It may sound like sci-fi, but the folks at Boston Dynamics have made their own bot called BigDog that can climb hills, jump, and walk in the snow and ice.
It’s impressive to see BigDog accomplish feats that most robots quiver at (when’s the last time you’ve seen C-3PO jump up and down?). Even though we all know BigDog is indeed a robot without feelings, you can’t help but root for the metal critter when one of the scientist tries to kick it down to show BigDog’s balancing abilities.
According to Boston Dynamics:
BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics family of robots. It is a quadruped robot that walks, runs, and climbs on rough terrain and carries heavy loads. 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.
Watch the video of BigDog in action here.
Read more about BigDog on the Boston Dynamics site here.
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SOURCE: io9.com, Automation
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