fiddlehead
05-09-2012, 09:35
Saw this in an article about robots for the military being developed now:
(Lots more to the article and different systems but this is the one that caught my attention):
(I wonder if it'll be allowed in our National Scenic Trail system)
LEGGED SQUAD SUPPORT SYSTEM - A robot being developed by Boston Dynamics poses an extra challenge compared to the Oshkosh and Lockheed vehicles. In addition to navigating its environment, the Legged Squad Support System, or LS3, must be able to maintain its balance on four limbs while carrying a load.
Like the SMSS, the LS3 - dubbed the Alpha Dog - is designed to carry gear for a squad of ground troops.
Mark Raibert, head of Boston Dynamics, said the biggest challenge in developing the Alpha Dog was not perception but scaling up the robot from smaller versions of the technology while keeping the weight at the target 1,250 pounds (567 kg) including fuel and payload.
The vehicle, which is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic system, underwent a limited prototype test in January. The company is working toward a first release of the robot in the early fall this year, with some initial ground tests toward the end of the year, Raibert said in an e-mail.
(Lots more to the article and different systems but this is the one that caught my attention):
(I wonder if it'll be allowed in our National Scenic Trail system)
LEGGED SQUAD SUPPORT SYSTEM - A robot being developed by Boston Dynamics poses an extra challenge compared to the Oshkosh and Lockheed vehicles. In addition to navigating its environment, the Legged Squad Support System, or LS3, must be able to maintain its balance on four limbs while carrying a load.
Like the SMSS, the LS3 - dubbed the Alpha Dog - is designed to carry gear for a squad of ground troops.
Mark Raibert, head of Boston Dynamics, said the biggest challenge in developing the Alpha Dog was not perception but scaling up the robot from smaller versions of the technology while keeping the weight at the target 1,250 pounds (567 kg) including fuel and payload.
The vehicle, which is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic system, underwent a limited prototype test in January. The company is working toward a first release of the robot in the early fall this year, with some initial ground tests toward the end of the year, Raibert said in an e-mail.