Slashdot Mirror
MIT Trains Robots To Jump
Nerval's Lobster writes: MIT just announced that its researchers have programmed a robotic cheetah that can leap over obstacles without a prompt from a human controller. The machine's onboard sensors rely on reflected laser-light to judge obstacles' distance and height, and use that data to fuel the algorithm for a safe jump. The robot's controlling algorithm takes into account such factors as the speed needed to launch its mass over the obstacle, the best position for a jump, and the amount of energy required from the onboard electric motor. As of this writing, the robot can clear 90 percent of obstacles on an open track. "A running jump is a truly dynamic behavior," Sangbae Kim, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, is quoted as saying in a university press release. "You have to manage balance and energy, and be able to handle impact after landing. Our robot is specifically designed for those highly dynamic behaviors." For years, some tech pundits have worried that robots and software will gradually replace human workers in key industries such as manufacturing and IT administration. Now they have something else to fret over: Robots replacing the world's hurdlers.
You know, somehow I'm betting a significant chunk of Slashdotters can't do a running jump without falling on their ass. ;-)
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
One small step for man one giant leap for robot kind.
Thanks MIT!!! Now we can't set up small barriers to stop the robots from making their advances.
Not to mention it is a "robotic cheetah"... good luck out running that.
with lasers?
some tech pundits have worried that robots and software will gradually replace human workers in key industries such as manufacturing and IT administration
"Some"? WTF??? Absolutely *ALL* the gizelle pundits are worried robots will replace actual cheetahs now.
that in a divine justice way, the researchers who develop these things are close by when Skynet turns these robots into killing machines.
that can save humanity now is one hell of an EMP event.
A solar flare to end all solar flares.
OK, it's official ... you're a fucking crazy idiot.
Did you know that?
Jumping Robots, cute. How about a Robot that can take a Nail out of Wood?
Is there a reason why all the obstacles are flat, low and pink? Can the lasers only see pink objects? What happens with higher/lower objects? What happens with irregular objects? What happens with different coloured objects? What happens on irregular ground?
I hereby curse this article. The next male to comment will be infected by a botfly that will lay its eggs in his urethra.
For years, some tech pundits have worried that robots and software will gradually replace human workers in key industries such as manufacturing and IT administration. Now they have something else to fret over: Robots replacing the world's hurdlers.
One really has to wonder just how complete of an idiot the summary writer had to be to come up with that. The mind boggles at the hard vacuum exiting in that writer's skill.
...can it play The Hole in the Wall?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
.
Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
The future is now. http://www.johnwallaceart.com/...
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
What we want is a world with more robots, to do all the menial work, and fewer humans, to enjoy themselves as they want.
We all know white ones can't jump....
Looks like one of the Boston Dynamics machines. Also interesting is it seems to be self-powered and not with a noisy motor like Big Dog.
Next thing you know, the Daleks will climb stairs and there will be no escaping! (Yes, I know Daleks are not technically robots)
What I'm most impressed by with the videos is that it looks like the initial power for the jumping is coming from the front legs, rather than the back legs (which have more leverage).
It seems to be the case (at least on one standing start cheetah jump that I've seen, as well as a lion jump) that the front legs are moved back for balance and the back legs used for the power push for the jump.
Ask me about repetitive DNA
Because that's where Climatedot - sorry - 'Slash'dot, gets them from.
You suspected as much, thus AC
The reason why this thing uses the front legs for the initial vertical push is that the back legs are shorter than on most running animals. Notice when it's running that the back legs and front legs never overlap, while on an actual cheetah their back legs stretch forwards past the front legs in order to allow the more powerful hind muscles to do more of the work.
You think I'm crazy. I told you fucks about the NSA back in 2003. Guess what? I was RIIIIIIIIIIGHT.
And I'm right here. CentOS is pretty shit. So is /.'s security.
Soylent isn't any better, either. They're running an OLDER codebase. They're more vulnerable, even after I forced them to patch their shit.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
http://www.gimp.org/ explains the situation well enough. As far as SF is concerned, they are just joining the same crowd like CNET etc. Sure it's a downer and maybe we can't do much about it except READ, understand and opt-out of the installer routines. There was one free ogg converter that forced me to download and run an installer, which installed another installer before I could actually download the program. I think I had to opt-out of 6 BHOs and other crapware. Turns out it wasn't worth the effort in the end. Fortunately I found this: http://www.boxoft.com/ogg-to-m... with no adware and an excellent piece of software. I'm happy to recommend it. So with eyes open you can wade through the crap but a lot of the installers attempt different forms of trickery that would fool a lot of people. The fact that SF has gone down that path must hurt though.
Don't be apathetic. Procrastinate!
"We've got a runner ... release the iHound ... "
"Consensus" in science is _always_ a political construct.