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Military's Robotic Pack Mule Gets $32M Boost

Posted by kdawson on from the now-to-develop-a-muffler dept.

coondoggie sends word that Boston Dynamics, maker of the BigDog robot we have been following for a while, has just been awarded a $32M DARPA contract to produce robotic "pack dogs" for the military. "What kind of robot will automatically follow a leader, carry 400 lbs. (182 kg) of military gear, walk 20 miles in all manner of weather, and go 24 hours without refueling? Well, we might soon find out as DARPA has awarded a $32 million contract to build its Legged Squad Support System (LS3) which uses sensors and a GPS to walk along with soldiers across all manner of terrain in any weather without pulling any muscles."

8 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Fuck that... by Kratisto · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cast Tensor's Floating Disk!

    --
    Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking.
  2. Money well spent? by phy_si_kal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well, the Afghans have mules, that cost nearly 0 and already pass where Humvee's stop. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2009/0504/p22s01-usmi.html

    1. Re:Money well spent? by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Funny

      Can you eat a robot?

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      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    2. Re:Money well spent? by Culture20 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Can you put a mule on standby?

      That's the default. Waking from standby is the trick.

    3. Re:Money well spent? by zippyspringboard · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah really, just add some kevlar body armor, a camera, blinders, and a remote controlled stick with a carrot on the end of it!

    4. Re:Money well spent? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Informative

      Heinlein had a quote (from I think 'The Green Hills of Earth') that went "Horses can make other horses, that's a trick tractors haven't learned yet". Doesn't exactly work with mules (since horse + donkey = mule), but you get the idea.

      Manufacturing costs are a lot lower.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  3. If I had NASA's resources... by Snufu · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd build some good robot ass too.

  4. Some personal experience... by IonOtter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Mules are quite intelligent.

    I've worked with pack horses, and horses can be incredibly stupid when they've got a pack on their back, but mules are very smart. They're sure-footed
    and can sense when the path ahead is too dangerous to travel, and if they don't wanna go, they just won't go.

    Mules are intelligent, which means the operator has to build a strong relationship with them, built upon mutual respect and trust. Not that I don't think our soldiers are capable of doing such a thing, but it's something you don't want them doing. Seeing your favorite mules getting blown to bits will be just as traumatic and harmful as seeing your buddies getting killed, maybe even worse, since people often build closer bonds with animals than they do with other humans.

    Also, one last thing is that when a mule is feeling cranky and wants to ruin your day, they won't just lash out like a stupid horse. Doc Waters warned us in class that they will target your belt-buckle and wait placidly until you're in range. No laid-back ears, no swishing tail, no sign of anger or aggression. You'll walk up and *KER-POW!*

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