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DIY 18-ft.-High Robotic Exoskeleton
Hacx sends along a piece from PopSci that begins "Carlos Owens had handled all kinds of machines as an army mechanic, but he always dreamed of using those skills for one project: his own 'mecha,' a giant metal robot that could mirror the movements of its human pilot. Owens, 31, began building an 18-foot-tall, one-ton prototype at his home in Wasilla, Alaska, in 2004. Working without blueprints, he first built a full-scale model out of wood. Moving on to steel, he had to devise a hydraulics system that would provide precisely the right leverage and range of movement. He settled on a complex network of cables and hydraulic cylinders that can make the mecha raise its arms, bend its knees, and even do a sit-up. ... He foresees mechas having uses in the military and the construction industry, but acknowledges that right now they're best suited to entertainment. The first application he has in mind: mecha-vs.-mecha battles, demolition-derby style."
It only cost him $25,000? That's amazing.
I've always wondered why no one has built a loader a la Aliens yet. Surely it wouldn't be beyond current tech and I'd imagine it would be amazingly useful (not least for fighting Alien queens!)
...what could possibly go wrong with this thing??
But someone please please film this thing; I suspect when something blows out on it, it will indeed make for some awesome youtube footage.
I Am My Own Worst Enemy
Wasila, Alaska? The killer app for this device is to put a set of high-heels on it and have it run as the GOP Veep candidate in 2012 - all puny mortals bow down before Mecha Palin, or be crushed!
Only the Obamabot can save us!
The whole idea of mecha robots is plain wrong. It's not necessary to make an exoskeleton that big. In a military (or 'gaming') situation it'd just present a bigger target. All you need is a minimal amount of armour with enough power to augment picking up large amounts of weight, and possibly some system to dampen recoil if you're holding a projectile weapon.
(Oh dear. I'm actually arguing that mecha robots are a poor weapons system design on the internet. Is this what my life has become? Maybe I should go outside?)
http://twitter.com/onion2k
I don't think it does very much though ~ looks more like one big welded robot model with a few hydraulics. Would be interesting to actually see it "in action".
This seems really familiar.
I'm pretty sure this is the same mech a couple of years back. He's probably mad a little progress since then.
Lets hope microsoft don't buy the rights to the gaming franchise
I tried to find vids of this thing. All I found was a 2 years old interview. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=3202576
It worked great, until he walked under the magnet at the rubbish tip...
Laughter is the best medicine, except if you have a broken rib.
In Here there's a video of an experimental Raytheon exoskeleton for the US army. It seems that we're a long way from seeing something like "starship troopers" especially because there's a conspicous umbilical cord in the Video, probably for the external power source and computer controls. While Moore's law can cope with computing requirements, there's nothing similar in power production, and especially in power density.
Novody would want a battery powered exoskeleton with a 10 minutes charge.
"If a boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty." (John Boyd, 1927-1997)
That is disturbing. Is this a plot to keep Palin under control, or is it Palin's (not so) secret master plan to take over the world? Muwahaha.
Good post !
Pink-Lady
A tarp won't prevent it from rusting, and a garage would probably be cost-prohibitive. The only solution to keep it from rusting would be paint, which would cost a lot too. I think he's more interested in getting it working than he is about making it look nice.
I have an old backhoe, it's heavily rusted, but all the bearings and hydraulics are in good shape and the machine, despite how it looks, still functions fine.
I agree that a video would make it more convincing, but I don't think it's fair to call BS right yet, the thing's probably not even finished yet.
As far as it being a sculpture, you're right, it is a sculpture, but sculptures don't have to remain perfectly still, if he can move the arms and pick stuff up, it's at least something.
If you ever pissed this guy off enough that he would want to kick your ass, and it comes down to you and your fists verses him in his big rusted "sculpture" which apparently has working hydraulics, who's gonna win?
People are approaching the idea of mecha ass-first.
These proposed engineers of mayhem mostly treat "BIG FUCKING ROBOT OH YEAH" as an end in itself. In any semi-realistic context mecha should be seen as something that naturally evolves into being as agile, versatile exoskeletons are made progressively more powerful; you have to work up to big with a design where everything else works superbly, you can't work from big down. Otherwise any advantage gained by size will be hugely offset by the sad fact that the thing moves like a turtle in molasses.
Mecha become reasonable when they can move and maneuver with the same agility as a human being -- think Eva, which can run, dodge and so on with considerable finesse. (Here's waiting for those carbon nanotube aerogel artificial muscles, by the way.) But since we can't even do that for a human-sized exoskeleton, any effort to build a mecha that's not severely dysfunctional is going to be impotent.
That's been working on this since 2004 and has likely been posting about here before?
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
once a year we have an article about this one on /.
and once again, not much has changed ;)
Come on ... we were promised Mecha-style Exoskeleton years ago and still no improvement ? DOH !
Here's the builder talking about it
Here's a really short video of it in action
Here's a really short video of it in action
Here's the designer talking about it
And here's his website (under construction, but with some technical info)
Why lie when you can just make up stuff and claim it to be true?
"Voice module online... audio functionality test... initialized. Designation: Liberty Prime. Mission: the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska. Primary targets: any and all red chinese invaders. Emergency communist acquisition directive: immediate self-destruct. Better dead than red!!"
mecha-vs.-mecha battles, demolition-derby style
Or Mechwarrior style (character inside robot), or OMF 2097 style (robot remotely controlled by character). Repair costs for those things can be pretty high, even for just getting a few scratches in the battle.
Ask me about repetitive DNA
It has red eyes! It means it's a decepticon! RUN FOR YOU LIVES!!!!!!!!!
The guy on foot would win, because that big rusted "sculpture" can barely move.
The website for Carlos Owens is http://neogentronyx.com/, where he has a few more photos and other projects...
He's probably mad
Well, yeah, but that's in the job description for all mad scientists.
Not exactly a Cyberdyne Systems research object, but a good start :-) Give it a couple of hundred of revisions, and we have on our hands a human terminator with a neural net capable processor, hyperalloy endoskeleton that withstands molten steel exposure and can run at above 60mph for prolonged periods of time and lift objects five times its weight, a plasma fusion reactor for power source good for 200 years of continuous operation, and naturally a very perverse attitude towards all things human.
Now Alaska is safe from any potential communist invasion...
And according to his site, he's managed to spend $5000 on a valve. This guy has been around for a long while, made plenty of wild claims, and demonstrated absolutely nothing. Several times in the past he's attempted to sell this ting on ebay, and failed every time. He's basically a laughing stock.
Well, it's a great day for science! Not only we have this news item, but we have an illustration of it too!
Fantasy: http://ferrisfantasy.blogspot.com/
He completed and was trying to sell the mech suit like 4 years ago. This story is almost as old as the internet itself. Slashdot's editors are really slacking these days.
If he hasn't built in any restrictions I predict a posthumous Darwin Award the moment the guy tries to absently scratch his nuts :-)
Insert
He's probably mad a little progress since then.
Absolutely. He used to be a raving lunatic.
Another few years and he should be quite sane.
(ps: use commas, your sentences are hard to read)
May contain traces of nut.
Made from the freshest electrons.
Surely in this day of high speed wireless communications, it makes absolutely no sense for the person to be physically "inside" the "mecha", or on the same continent for that matter. Of course I'd hate to see one of these babies turned into a zombie...
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
This guy has been around for a long while, made plenty of wild claims, and demonstrated absolutely nothing.
I don't know the history of his project, maybe it's the same guy, maybe not, but any project of that scale that starts with "Working without blueprints" is headed straight for the wall IMO.
May contain traces of nut.
Made from the freshest electrons.
Unless Carlos Owens and Theodore Agranat are 9-10 feet tall.
http://content.zdnet.com/2346-9595_22-11979-2.html
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Am I the only one thinking this guy has way too much space in his backyard, money lying around, and time on his hands?
Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
That's why my Colossal Tammy Tinkle Doll was such a failure.
Oh, you don't understand me.
We're finished!
*runs out of the room crying*
Did you know that "FTW" ("for the win") is a direct translation of "Sieg Heil"?
"Novody would want a battery powered exoskeleton with a 10 minutes charge."
You probably missed all the Evangelion episodes?
-Woof woof woof!
Despite the open mesh steel frame, this thing is definitely not for the claustrophobic. I am getting chills just looking at how the guy is trapped, er... strapped in there and all I can think about is being stuck if it happens to tip over. I am definitely not a target customer for this thing, then again I probably wouldn't fare much better in a tank or submarine either.
This post brought to you by your friendly neighborhood MBA.
...You can see Russia!
I agree with you, in the context of a weapon. But consider how useful this could be for construction. The ability to lift large objects (like beams) into position could be quite useful.
A four-legged version might be more useful, however.
Place nail here >+
Captain Mifune, is that you?
Like in Robot Carnival's "A Tale of Two Robots"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdOieEsk918
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdqhD5NAv9w
"I am Jonathan Jameson Volkeson the Third, no doubt the worlds most brilliant scientist. I will not let the course charted by my peerless intellect be stopped by you or anyone."
"MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
Truly awesome and inspiring. Way to go Carlos!
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/04/12/22/2045240/Homebrewed-Robot-Exoskeleton-In-Alaska?art_pos=11
True, but that may have just been the author of the article saying that he designed and built it from scratch, he wasn't following any plans that someone else made
Joshua's Army will be unstoppable!
By Sarcos corporation. This one is a bit smaller, and has no grippers yet, but the arms and legs function. IN fact, the arms and legs are *more* agile and human-like than in the Aliens movie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhj3Z9o6t0g
This seems really familiar.
Yes it does. What is it with all these monstrosities coming out of Wasilla lately? Is the pollution that bad over there? I say we pitch them against each other and see who wins?
"You can't allow somebody to commit the crime before you detain them." [Condoleezza Rice]
Then, I'll be ready to invest. Or run. "ALASKA'S LIBERATION IS IMMINENT!"
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Finally, something that can not only see Russia, but also defend us when Putin raises his head over the airspace in Alaska.
Mecha become reasonable when they can move and maneuver with the same agility as a human being -- think Eva, which can run, dodge and so on with considerable finesse. (Here's waiting for those carbon nanotube aerogel artificial muscles, by the way.) But since we can't even do that for a human-sized exoskeleton, any effort to build a mecha that's not severely dysfunctional is going to be impotent.
The biggest limitation of the Alaskan mecha, is that it has no force-feedback. People who can't feel their own limbs, or the resistance of the ground and objects against them are *incredibly* clumsy. So are robots that try to move with no kinesthetic sense.
Sarcos corporation has developed Haptic Interfaces which give you force-feedback. The military has been working towards humanoid full-body haptic harnesses since the 1970's, actually with really good progress since the 80s.
Look at the example videos on this page: http://www.sarcos.com/teleop_videos.html
I like the "Large Dextrous Arm" which is shown holding a freaking anvil like a beer mug.
There's also Sarcos corporation's "Loader-Lifter" which incorporates those haptic technologies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhj3Z9o6t0g
If you had a full-body haptic harness in the abdomen of a giant mecha, with the pilot secured to the mecha's spine at the small of the back, then you'd have a working giant-human agility mecha. The pilot's own inner ear would work as the balancing mechanism! The parts of the mecha's body would be in the same relative positions as the pilot's, including the head. That, combined with full-body force feedback would be enough. The thing would move slowly like the bosses in "Shadow of the Collossus," but they would move like a human of that size would, because you're just translating a real human's movements and kinesthetic senses to a larger and heavier frame.
Not practical, but it wold be so cool! (And make this Wasilla thing look like a toddler with arms asleep.)
See Kids? Even Weeaboos can achieve their dreams!
Should only be operated by those possessing a class two rating.
Looking at the machine, I don't even think he was following plans he made himself.
Would rather see the development of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3JAa9_YcdI
Where in his post would you place a comma to make it more readable? The only problem I see is the missing 'e' in 'made'.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Now all it needs is a modified rocket punch and a freaking laser mounted on its head.
... missile salvos can it survive?
I thought Palin used to be the Mayor of Wasila, AK. If so all these monstrosities coming from this small town in the deep North make quite a bit of sense...
I for one... oh nevermind.
We've got to get this thing together with this guy.
Everyone knows "Robot Wars" with the excellent Barbara Crampton already predicted this. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107979/ It will be buried once the Chinese take over and only brought out to defeat our overlords!
I, for one, welcome our Alaskan MechaOverlords.
Sorry, someone had to say it.
All it needs is a coat of spray paint...
"Why'd you make him black?"
"Because I wanted him to be perfect."
but in all reality they wouldn't work structurally or practically.
Still, I love me a good robot fight.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Robot Jox for real! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102800/
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I don't know the history of his project, maybe it's the same guy, maybe not, but any project of that scale that starts with "Working without blueprints" is headed straight for the wall IMO.
Well, I have to admit I don't think some of those connections are supported in SDS/2.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
Talk about *whoosh* ...
"He's probably mad, a little progress since then."
Since Fred A is making a joke, and that the guy is probably at least a little 'mad' since you pretty much have to be to make a big metal robot on your own. You know, the stereotypical Mad Scientist type.
Does this make sense now?
I would like to see a pleo made out of one of these.
I'm thinking the power supply is a small diesel engine from a tractor. There appears to be an over abundance of metal used, but that could be "slimed" down later. What I think is most interesting is the location, a place where Artic Circle Testing could accomplished with little transportation costs. Temperatures at Alaska range from the very hot to the very cold. Just a funny thought, what would it look like if one of the Inuit Tribes were to use it to hunt Whale? That would make an entertaining summer movie.
Any butthole can slap together pipes and hydraulics.
It's the computer control which turns it from novelty that falls over at the first push or incline into a real machine.
And then it gets blown up by a tank anyway since it's a sitting duck.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Rather than the DIY route, I much prefer to buy my mechas from the dealer's inventory.
Good god! That's way too big. It was supposed to be 18 inches tall!
Bloody hell.
So what are you saying?
That the robot is actually as tall as the Statue of Liberty only it is really far in the back?
Take a look at the photos in TFA:
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-05/man-machine
See the giant robot? See its giant head? How about that giant plate across its giant chest and the triangular formation in between the chest-plate and the head?
Now scroll down and take a look at the other photo.
See that triangular formation and robot's chin? And the giant human inside the robot?
How about that other photo at ZDnet?
http://content.zdnet.com/2346-9595_22-11979-1.html
See the chest-plate and the human inside the robot?
Also, note that the robot's leg-plates are just slightly wider than human legs and that the distance from the top of the leg plates to the robots chin is about 4-4.5 feet (height of a 6-foot human minus the lower half of the leg) - give or take a couple of inches.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Note the human on the left and the barrel on the right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ploFd9su_n4
At 1:59 you can see all three in relation to the ground and each other.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
It is going to fall on him and kill him. Probably due to metal fatigue, or a mistake on his part at some point. Hate to be a downer, but it is probably pretty likely. Look how rusted it is. Also, this isn't new news, it was in popular science months ago.
Future headline....
Didn't someone in Wasilla already come out with a smaller more light-weight version of this mecha?
I think they called it Sarah Palin...
Carpe Scrotum - The only way to deal with your competition.
Ah so Maybe one day we can live in the Future of Robot Jox http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102800/
Did you even bother to look at the video?
Like at 1:39 and 2:11 where the guy rests his hand on the robot's "knees" - while standing upright and on the same level as the robot.
Or when he puts his hands inside it at 2:29 clearly showing that robot's lower half is at about the height of the man's chest.
Do you have any idea how much is 18 feet? That is nearly 5.5 meters. Height of 3 tall men.
Or 2 Yao Mings plus a 3 feet tall midget. Or you can just have Yao Ming standing on the table and his clone standing on his head.
I've rarely seen such obtuseness.
I truly hope that you are just trolling and that IRL you have better command over your primary mental faculties.
Cause, you know, it is just no fun trying to point out a logical error to a person of diminished mental capabilities.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Isn't this the one where he builds himself a magnetic source that lays over top his heart to avoid a shrapnel from ever getting to the heart? Until they come out with IM2, i will be watching this one closely
No. How does "He's probably mad, a little progress since then" make any sense?
Perhaps something like "He's probably mad--a little progress since then [when?]" would work better, but it's still missing something.
Question is will it have an AI so it doesnt need a pilot? If so will it be renamed to Liberty Prime with a mission to free Anchorage?
To me construction og repair work in larger scale is the most obvios use for a mecha. Often cranes, bobcats, dumpers etc. is too static in their funktionality. Mechas being multi-funktional is idéal as a working machine.
Just to mention a serious effort is underway to build a 20+ft high mecha. They actually have funding and trained engineers, as well as the computer systems to back it up, not just a bunch of hydraulics and prayer. Theirs may not be fully built, but at least when it is it will walk and not fall over like this guys. They are called MPS (Mechanized Propulsion Systems) and they have buisness plans for it. Check out their website they have a ton of information www.MechaPs.com