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Robotic 'Pack Mule' with Impressive Reflexes
Posted by
Zonk
on Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:20 AM
from the robo-horse dept.
from the robo-horse dept.
moon_monkey writes "New Scientist has a story about a nimble, four-legged robot that can recover its balance even after being given a hefty kick." From the article: "The project is sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who want the robotic pack mule to assist soldiers in terrain too tough for vehicles. Ground-based soldiers often need to carry 40 kilograms of equipment. Raibert says the latest version of BigDog can handle slopes of 35 - a steeper gradient than one in two. The hydraulics are driven by a two-stroke single-cylinder petrol engine, and it can carry over 40 kg, about 30% of its bodyweight. The robot can follow a simple path on its own, or can be remotely controlled."
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New BigDog Robot Video 193 comments
John860 writes "The US company Boston Dynamics has released an amazing new video of its quadruped robot BigDog. The highlight of the video (at 1:24) shows how the robot starts slipping on ice, almost falls several times, but finally regains its balance and continues walking. The video also shows the robot's ability to cope with different types of terrains, climb and descend steep slopes, and jump. Two years ago, the older version of BigDog was already able to climb slopes, keep its balance after a strong kick, and walk on rough terrain like stones, mud, and snow. The new version weighs 235 lbs and can carry a payload of up to 340 lbs, a factor of 4 better than its predecessor."
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Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:4, Funny)
That's an AT-AT.
Parent
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:5, Interesting)
A machine won't get spooked by gunfire
a machine won't start making mating calls that alert the enemy to your position
a machine won't take massive shits that a tracking dog could smell
a machine doesn't die if it gets thirsty - you can go get more fuel and come back to it a week later or a month later.
I can see a whole lot of applications where a live animal wouldn't be as useful. Perhaps we should get rid of all the motorcycle police and make them use horses, too?
Parent
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:3, Insightful)
First: Yes, an untrained mule may be spooked be gunfire. On the other hand people have been training horses to go into battle for thousands years. Worst case scenario your packmule runs from behind cover and gets shot (assuming the enemy would bother shooting at fleeing livestock in the middle of a fight).
Second: Mating calls from a mule? Mules are
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:3, Insightful)
b - this is a proof of concept demonstrating the technology. the key here is that it can navigate rough terrain and has good balance. The source of rotational energy is hardly important at this point.
Sand isn't exactly friendly to the lungs of an animal, either, and at least when the robot dies you have a chance of repairing it. Good luck repairing your dead mule.
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why not just use ... a live mule? (Score:3, Funny)
Yes it can. The hard part is switching it on again.
Your Tax Dollars at Work (Score:5, Funny)
WHERE'S OSAMA?
Video of the robot (Score:5, Informative)
The robot looks fairly hilarious when it walks, since it moves a lot like two biped robots (imitating the motion of human legs) facing each other. The whining mechanical noise is also pretty funny, since it sounds like a mechanical goat. However, it does withstand the kick pretty impressively.
its BigDog, not "pack mule" (Score:5, Interesting)
Also, did anyone watch the movie of BigDog? It looks really creepy, actually. I guess I was subconsciously expecting to see, oh I don't know, a big robotic dog, maybe Bell from "Bell and Sebastion" with metal instead of fur. Intead BigDog looks more like something you would frantically blow away in Starship Troopers before it rips your head off with its long insect-like legs. If I had one, I think I'd want to attach something to it that looks like a little like a head, at least. When they kick it, and it moves its legs to keep from falling over, I squirm. It's like it's ALMOST alive, but not quite.
Re:its BigDog, not "pack mule" (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
M.U.L.E. (Score:3, Funny)
Cost comparison? (Score:3, Insightful)
-jcr
Re:Cost comparison? (Score:5, Insightful)
Pack mules need to be fed even if you are just storing them in a camp. This thing can be packed tight in a box until you need it, then you just feed it the same gas that you feed your other vehicles. You're already shipping gas, but you aren't shipping much mule food to the camp. Sure, one the move a mule can eat some grass, but that becomes harder in the middle of the desert or while being shipped across the ocean.
Also, it's much harder to resupply a group under dangerous conditions with mules being led than it is with something you can remote control a group of across that same dangerous territory. As far as weight ratios, some of them can carry gas for the others, while those others carry what you want delivered. It's the same system trucks use.
Plus, I imagine (based on previous darpa results) these will end up quite a bit faster than mules are.
Picture remote controlled, locally autonomous truck convoys dropping these things off for the "last mile" delivery to the troops in the hills and you'll see where all this is going.
Of course, eventually they'll also use them for surveilance placements and then remote controlled combat.
Parent
Neat, but needs a muffler. (Score:3, Funny)
However, that thing desperately needs a muffler--is anybody else having flashbacks to "Dumb and Dumber"?
"Hey, you guys want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?"
Let's see here... (Score:5, Insightful)
This thing can carry a bit more, eats gasoline, makes as much noise as a gas turbine, will happily stroll into harm's way, and will likely cost on the order of a luxury car per unit. While there will be no training needed, when it breaks down it's just so much spare parts.
Part of the reason for wanting something that can go anywhere is that the trucks you currently have *can't*. So how are you going to refuel the mechanical mule? Can this thing pack enough spare fuel *and* have enough capacity left to be useful?
I think I'll stick with the mule.
Beer mule (Score:4, Insightful)
Jim.
Slashdot has changed (Score:5, Interesting)
Since when do Slashdot readers feel the need to criticize large government agencies who fund R&D for building robots?
Jeez people. This thing is cool.
It's not only useful... (Score:3, Funny)
Dimensionless, fucktard (Score:4, Informative)
A "gradient of one in two" is a dimensionless ratio. A slope is the mathematical slope in %, which, again, is a dimensionless ratio.
Parent
Re:Hefty Kick? (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Looking Real (Score:4, Insightful)
The video delivers what is promised but notice that when it does go up that steep hill there is no 40+ kg of weight on it...
It also seems a bit to loud and well, in need of some body armor.
Parent