March 21, 2008

Quadruped Robot a Little Too Life Like

by Jeff Squires

This robot developed by Boston Dynamics is simply amazing - apparently, the most advanced quadruped robot on earth.  Boston Dynamics, the brains behind the machine, is a an engineering company that specializes in robotics and human simulation with primarily military applications.

Boston Dynamics’ site describes the machine:

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.

BigDog has an on-board computer that controls locomotion, servos the legs and handles a wide variety of sensors. BigDog’s control system manages the dynamics of its behavior to keep it balanced, steer, navigate, and regulate energetics as conditions vary. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a laser gyroscope, and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature, rpm, battery charge and others.

In separate trials, BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, and carries a 340 lb load.

It’s so life like, it actually kinda gives us the creeps - we almost even felt bad when the guy kicked it!

Boston Dynamic Big Dog

Article categories: Design, Science, Web & Technology

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