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Leaked Video Shows New 'Nightmare-Inducing' Wheeled Robot From Boston Dynamics (theverge.com) 119

Posted by msmash from the living-upto-expectations dept.
Boston Dynamics has a reputation for building robots which push the boundaries of robotics technology, although with a slightly creepy persona. Its latest robot is no different. From a report on The Verge: The company's new wheeled, upright robot is named Handle ("because it's supposed to handle objects") and looks like a cross between a Segway and the two-legged Atlas bot. Handle hasn't been officially unveiled, but was shown off by company founder Marc Raibert in a presentation to investors. Footage of the presentation was uploaded to YouTube by venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson. Raibert describes Handle as an "experiment in combining wheels with legs, with a very dynamic system that is balancing itself all the time and has a lot of knowledge of how to throw its weight around." He adds that using wheels is more efficient than legs, although there's obviously a trade-off in terms of maneuvering over uneven ground. "This is the debut presentation of what I think will be a nightmare-inducing robot," says Raibert.
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Leaked Video Shows New 'Nightmare-Inducing' Wheeled Robot From Boston Dynamics More

Leaked Video Shows New 'Nightmare-Inducing' Wheeled Robot From Boston Dynamics

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  • This is Awesome (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Thelasko ( 1196535 ) on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @03:07PM (#53783655) Journal
    So many years have been spent trying to make a robot than can walk. However, this is better. This is a robot that can roller skate. It's faster than walking or running, but just as agile!

    • Daleks (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Stonent1 ( 594886 ) <stonent AT stone ... intclark DOT net> on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @03:11PM (#53783699) Journal
      Daleks run on wheels, but they have a weakness, stairs. (Well except until they learned to levitate) Wheels need a flat surface whereas walking legs do not.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Daleks run on wheels, but they have a weakness, stairs. (Well except until they learned to levitate)
        Wheels need a flat surface whereas walking legs do not.

        There is no reason robot can't "walk" on virtually any surface by locking wheels. It does have legs after all. Robot could be fitted with or carry interchangeable extra wheels suited for surfaces other than flat asphalt. Pressure inside wheels could be adjusted on the fly to better control traction and stability on rough terrain when needed.

      • Daleks run on wheels, but they have a weakness, stairs. (Well except until they learned to levitate) Wheels need a flat surface whereas walking legs do not.

        This could likely roll down a staircase, or up one, for that matter. Or walk up or down. It has all the freedom of movement required, it's just a matter of processing.

      • It can plant its two for arms a few steps up and roll the wheel up, move one arm up a step, then the other arm, haul the wheels up a step ... I see this thing climbing stars with ease.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by tchdab1 ( 164848 )

        Why can't it walk on it's "hands"?

      • Why not turn the breaks on when climbing stairs and walk using the wheel as a foot? We can clearly see from the video that it can balance on those wheels. Why couldn't it walk on them?
      • This has legs and wheels. Presumably it could walk or jump up and down stairs.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        > Wheels need a flat surface whereas walking legs do not.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBOT

        There are versions of stair-climbing wheels that use three, rather than two wheels that don't require software control for proper operation. I've seen three-wheeled motorized wheelchairs on a couple of occasions.

      • Daleks run on wheels, but they have a weakness, stairs. (Well except until they learned to levitate)
        Wheels need a flat surface whereas walking legs do not.

        Real Daleks don't climb stairs. They level the building.

    • It's faster than walking or running, but just as agile!

      Unless it needs to climb over something like a pile of rocks, or stairs.

      • Re:This is Awesome (Score:5, Informative)

        by toonces33 ( 841696 ) on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @03:14PM (#53783737)

        If you read the article and look at the video clips, you see the robot get a running start, get down into a crouch and then jump in the air just in time to clear a barrier.

        In a real warehouse that would be a pretty useless capability, but it still seemed kind of cool.

        • Re:This is Awesome (Score:4, Insightful)

          by JaredOfEuropa ( 526365 ) on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @03:30PM (#53783867) Journal
          Screw warehouse work, just turn that sucker into a Segway-like robot that can carry me. Now jump!

          • > Screw warehouse work, just turn that sucker into a Segway-like robot that can carry me. Now jump!

            Well then, see ya next life!

            Waaaa.aa...a..a......a.......h......... Splat!

        • If you read the article and look at the video clips, you see the robot get a running start, get down into a crouch and then jump in the air just in time to clear a barrier.

          In a real warehouse that would be a pretty useless capability, but it still seemed kind of cool.

          The fun part for me was when the robot put it's "hands" down on the ground to steady itself after the jump. I was wondering how they would handle the landing on just wheels. Without it the robot would have done a "face plant".

        • It does have its advantages if needing to get supplies over terrain where even 4x4s may not cut it. I can see it usable for getting stuff to a place in the mountains should there be a disaster. If one had a convoy of these, it would make it fairly economical as opposed to using a helicopter. Other uses can be replacing bong sniffing dogs at an airport, since if something does go off, PETA doesn't care if a robot gets destroyed.

    • but just as agile

      Tell that to a Dalek circa 1963 or R2D2 circa 1977

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Vireo ( 190514 )

      The bubbly Tachikomas from Ghost in the Shell comes to mind when talking about combining legs and wheels...

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward

        This looks a bit closer to the motorcycle mechs in Rideback [wikipedia.org]. Once they learn ballet, the robots will be unstoppable...

    • I'm curious how this wheeled robot does on ice. The thing that was impressive with previous Boston Dynamics robots wasn't that the walked or ran - lots of robots can do that. It was how well they recovered from unexpected events [youtu.be].

  • Me: "Boss, I'd like raise."

    Boss: "Sorry, no budget this year."

    Me: "My robotic friend back here wants a word with you..."

    [*Lunge!*]

    Boss: "Aaahhh! OK, OK! you gottit! Now get that thing outta here!"

  • Make it lethal (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @03:13PM (#53783733)

    How long will it take until they will put a gun on it?
    (And use it to control the population?)

  • Okaaaaay (Score:3)

    by JustAnotherOldGuy ( 4145623 ) on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @03:19PM (#53783777) Journal

    Yeah, that has the potential to peg my Creep-O-Meter.

    If I met that thing in a darkened warehouse and it started coming for me I'd be shittin' me pants.

    • Luckily, you just need a wheel chuck or just climb 1 stair to thwart this unstoppable beast...

      • Maybe ... it's got arms, so it might be able to drag itself up stairs.

        I couldn't really tell the full range of motion on the legs, but it's possible for the wheels to fold up, and it could run around on is "knees and hands" over really unstable terrain.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by djbckr ( 673156 )
        Nope, it jumps too (near the end of the video, it does quite a leap). I imagine it can walk on those wheels too, we just didn't see it.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      If I met that thing in a darkened warehouse and it started coming for me I'd be shittin' me pants.

      You ain't no Dr. Seuss. [photobucket.com]

    • I saw the video on the page of it moving and jumping and I immediately thought about robotic horses. It could be so cute, every kid would want one.

  • Good marketing (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Usually when I consider if a purchase is worthwhile, my first question is: "Will this give me nightmares?"

  • Wheelers (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Reminded me of the wheelers from Return to Oz for some reason...

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Travco ( 1872216 )
      GIF is sped up. the video is at normal speed

      • GIF playback speed is inconsistent between browser brands and PC's in experience.

        I suspect it's because although time between frames is standardized in the GIF standard, the frame render time adds additional implementation and hardware specific time gaps that are either not accounted for, or compensated for differently in diff browsers.

        For example, in normal video playback, if the rendering can't keep up with the stated frame rate due to slow hardware or taxed CPU, frames may be partially or fully dropped t

  • I want my Battlemech now. I'm going to get in line at the Apple Store tomorrow. This has to be brought to market.

  • This thing will result in a mobility revolution for the disabled. Once it's in production and cost comes down. And.. Stairs will be no problem. it balances well enough that half a dozen different solutions should be available (a deploy-able post would be easy)

  • OK. Yes, I'm impressed. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by blind biker ( 1066130 ) on Wednesday February 01, 2017 @05:08PM (#53784543) Journal

    On condition that that's not fake, that machine is positively badass. I have the most profound admiration for the technology that went into it, and the engineers that did this job.

  • Robots on wheels have been around for years. Does Boston Dynamics really care about Robotic Design? Is this the result of a group of H1B Zombies trying desperately to keep their jobs?

    Boston Dynamics, your all a bunch of fucking smart asses; show this, "a walking robot that goes up/down stars carrying a feather duster and Shark vacuum. Then let the creative juices flow and have it dust and sweep the floors. Do you guys really care?

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Yeah, I remember watching wheeled robots accelerate and jump over things... What is the point of your inane post?

      • That this was an excellent example of "Go back and try again, only this time get your head out of your ass and get into the game"

  • Looking at the headless shoulder, the empty arms and wheeled legs, it definitely has some creepy factors.

    But DAMN, this thing does better than most robotic designs at moving around at high speed. Heck, it can even spins and jump!

    All I'll need is a car shell and BAM! I'll have my own transformer! Nightmare => Best Dream Ever!

    +1 to the Engineers.

  • Meh, it's no ED-209, looks more like something from Wallace and Grommet.

  • Sarah Connor will rain on your parade once she gets back.

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