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BigDog Robot Grabs, Lifts, and Throws Cinder Blocks With Its New Arm
cylonlover writes "Boston Dynamics' BigDog may have already been replaced by the beefier LS3, but that doesn't mean it's totally obsolete. Today the company unveiled a version of the quadruped equipped with an arm where a head (or tail) would go. As can be seen in a slightly disquieting video, it's powerful enough to lift and toss a heavy cinder block. Key to this work, funded by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, is that BigDog uses the dynamic forces of its whole body to help it throw the cinder block. It begins by taking several steps to the side before quickly accelerating as it swings its arm, temporarily launching itself into the air in the process. This approach is similar to the way an athlete winds up before throwing a discus, for example, and greatly enhances the robot's throwing power. Since few robots are as capable as BigDog when it comes to balance, it's an excellent platform to test these sorts of strenuous actions."
Considering the military is preparing for a future of cyber warfare. I find it interesting that we are willing to put war fighters into suits that assist with body movements. You know they will have connectivity eventually. I mean, what if the Chinese hack into the systems that control these suits. They would have a whole battalion playing twister in no time :)
Man bites dog. Dog ... er ... throws cinder block ...
Is terrifying.
I, for one, welcome our new cinderblock-chucking quadrupedal robotic overl-- OW, MY FOOT!
I love how the "mouth" looks like it's growling/howling in fury and triumph with its "head" held high after throwing the block...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Video of the cinder block toss by Big Dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jvLalY6ubc
And a Rick Astley video, well just because it was tempting....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyViVmaBQDg
It only confirms the old proverb; if you absolutely have to make him a Zaphod Beebledog in order to do that, it shows how difficult it is!
Ezekiel 23:20
come get the blocks, and don't f*** with me!
Since there is no practical use in construction for a robot like this, we can probably say goodbye to the three laws.
Privacy is terrorism.
What sort of current is in-flowing through those cables?
Will that chassis support batteries which will make the thing function? If so, for how long? What's the recharge time?
Until the robots are running on some sort of power which allows dynamic recharge and sustained off-grid operations, all one has to do is outrun them until their batteries run down.
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
Once it can throw chairs, Balmer should worry about keeping his job.
The "three laws" (or equivalent) will apply to every robot made NOT for the US army.
I have nothing to lose but my bindings.
That can grab, lift and throw chairs!
Robot Apocalypse
What if there was a robot apocalypse? How long would humanity last?
http://what-if.xkcd.com/5/
Even got a mention on Forbes.
William
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
An industrial robot from 2000 could've decapitated three people with the cinderblock and in the same swing thrown it twice as far.
Cinderblock throwing have never really been any industry metric of robot strength though, but they've been very strong for a long while.
They should rename it.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Video with better audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6L6MhSgpgo That's exttremely impressive. I wonder how much it costs though...
Liberty - Security - Laziness - Pick any two.
In the ruins of WWIII, this will be the perfect appliance for taking the charred rubble from a radioactive landscape, and using it to besiege the last, stubborn remnants of humanity in a bid for total, and complete annihilation of the "enemy" (little did we know the enemy was within(!!!)). OR it could be used to help kind old ladies across the street. Really, I'm guessing the latter.
Seriously. What the hell?
Yes, but those machines are securely bolted to the floor and have maximum leverage. They weren't walking on legs at the same time and have to deal with balancing themselves whilst throwing the block..
You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
I'd be more impressed with some heavy weapons and fire call interfaces.
Mortar and anti-vehicle missles controlled by google-glass type interfaces on human scouts.
Also let big dog launch a couple of aerial drones also linked in.
and it can throw grenades, rifles and hold a bow and arrow
I suspect it would be more effective to fire the rifle, rather than throwing it. Unless of course, it's fighting Superman.
and injure innocent bystanders. What have you got?
It's a neck, head, and jaws. Add some weight to the head and approporiate "musculature" to the neck and the machine could learn to gallop.
It still needs to learn how to stand dynamically without prancing, though.
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
When they do the high speed video of the thing - notice the flickering exit sign.
game of fetch our robotic dog overlords wile make us play.
"Lets See How You Like Eating The Same Thing EveryDay, HUMANZ!"
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
This is what I get for not pressing the correct button. My latency was surprisingly low at that moment, I stabbed for the escape key rather quickly.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Dear Boston Dynamics (aka Cyberdyne Systems):
Stopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopit.
#UnintendedConsequenceBlock
in addition to the legs. That way, it could use wheeled transport on flat terrain and legs on rough terrain.
The slow-mo shots reminded me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI24QTOQPtA
Your ideas are intriguing to me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
If I had mod points, +1 funny for "Cinderblock throwing have never really been any industry metric..."
is Armstrong, of course.
Defining Statistics and Social Research