BigDog the Spooky Robot

[Apogeal Alpha01]

BigDog the Robot

Boston Dynamics keeps working on their BigDog quadruped robot, which will probably grow to be the future AT-AT of the Pentagon. Its evolution since the last time we saw it is nothing sort of mindblowing, and a bit spooky.

It's almost like a real mammal, a foal walking in its first hours. Cool!

Wouldn’t this type of robot would be an ideal explorer for space missions to Mars or other planets with solid surfaces? One main problem with The Rovers is that they are wheeled; their range is limited. This robot would have next to no problems traversing the terrain, going to the top of hills, the bottom of craters, etc. The only thing is, solar power probably wouldn't cut it. It would probably have to have a small nuclear power plant, more sophisticated computer programming and the ability to handle the same temp extremes. I bet JPL has already designed feasibility studies.

 

[Bill Morris]

BigDog is cool. My mind must have been playing tricks on me, but it looked like two kids walking bacwards partially hidden inside and carrying the main body, like those old two-person horse suits.

 

[TerriO]

The scary part is, I was thinking the same thing for a minute there, LCARS 24.

The trick with using it as a rover would probably be the same as using wheeled rovers. You have to make sure it's able to re-orient itself and "stand back up" if it should fall over.

 

[Triskelion]

A bunch of vids of it in action on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bigdog+robot&search_type=

I wonder if you could ride it?

If I saw that coming at me in the forest, I would * myself.

 

[Amaris]

I thought the same thing, LCARS. I was majorly impressed with how it handles itself on ice. Actually, it recovers way better than I do.


J.

 

[FordSVT]

One thing about using something like this (as opposed to a wheeled vehicle) on another planet is durability. This robot would have many more moving parts and opportunities to fail. The mars rovers are still operating because they are simple.

Not to say it wouldn't be great to have walking robots on other planets, and given sufficient development I'm sure it's possible, but I'm just pointing out that it does have some drawbacks.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

BigDog? Moves like a horse. LOL

Nevertheless, impressive!

 

[M'Sharak]

BigDog is cool. My mind must have been playing tricks on me, but it looked like two kids walking bacwards partially hidden inside and carrying the main body, like those old two-person horse suits.

You're not the only one who got that impression. I almost expected at some points to see two people untuck their heads and stand fully upright, hands on each others' shoulders -- it looked like football players doing practice blocking drills. Looking at the way the legs are articulated, I suspect that it is an intentional part of the design.

 

[Samurai8472]

Were on the way to our own Amee from red planet