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Robot Mule Put Out To Pasture By Marine Corps (nbcnews.com)
An anonymous reader sends word that the Marines have decided that Boston Dynamics' robotic pack mules are too noisy to use. NBC reports: The massive robotic mule developed by Alphabet-owned Boston Dynamics won't see combat with U.S. Marines. LS3 (Legged Squad Support Systems) was meant to carry cargo for weary soldiers in the field. Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, the robot was capable of walking with 400 pounds of equipment on its back. LS3 could run for 24 hours straight on a 20-mile mission across rough terrain. No controller was needed; it took visual and verbal cues from soldiers to find its way. So why doesn't the Marine Corps want to use it? The robot's gas-powered engine isn't exactly the stealthiest piece of technology.
Goat
Thank you.
The "article" such that it is, is not much longer than the Slashdot "summary". Any chance of some editorial work on these "stories"? More linkies?
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
It's good to know that $30 million dollars is only good to imitate Santa's reindeer.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Neither of which require stealth.
Computers got better, and someone was wrong about airplanes once, so therefore anything is possible.
20 miles for 24h with 400 pounds of weight? Sorry, but those specs don't sound all that great compared to a real mule or pack horse.
I mean, seriously, its NOT THAT HARD to quiet an engine, they've been making diesels on subs quiet for 100 years now. Literally all you need is a better muffler, and add some sound proofing covering around the engine, maybe adds 10lbs at most.
Or, better yet, go with a small gas turbine, they're nearly silent, especially with a muffler, and can burn just about anything, diesel, gas, kerosene, you name it.
That's pretty damned idiotic throwing away a $30 million program because you didn't want to spend another few $100 on a muffler and some padding.
Maybe stealth should be reconsidered when applied to robotics. Other applications should be considered. For example, imagine 230 of these robots, each as noisy as a lawnmower and as terrifying as war itself, charging over a hillside in bevis and butthead masks. And as a peacekeeping force they would be unsurpassed! either keep the peace, or we send these things back around christmas decked in flashing lights and dressed as bea arthur.
Good people go to bed earlier.
Here i was thinking they'd finally figured out the concept of stealth while driving around downtown baghdad in humvees with a 50cal on the roof...
damn thing kept getting spooked by lightning storms and running off with all my Smithore
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
So they basically said they don't want it because they would use it in a manner that it wasn't designed for. Maybe if you mentioned that stealth was a requirement WHILE THEY WERE BUILDING IT you could have avoided millions of dollars in wasted tax money, and millions of dollars in wasted man-hours.
I remember watching Boston Dynamic's BigDog demonstration, and being thoroughly impressed by the robot's ability to maintain balance and regain footing when kicked or slipping on ice. That said, the video also demonstrated exactly the Marine's concern, but I thought that they'd be able to reduce hardware requirements and increase battery efficiency to the point of overcoming the gas engine requirement. I guess that battery efficiency (and requisite durability) just hasn't gotten to that point yet, or gasoline was just specified as a requirement.
It's a shame this didn't work out. I could see the benefit of having a pack mule that won't spook, hee-haw randomly, or refuse commands.
"Is not a sentence" is not a sentence. Well damn.
but can't into mufflers.
Not News: Robotics company doesnt know how to make internal combustion engines.
There are dozens of ways that automotive engineers over the years have decreased the decibel output of internal combustion engines.
None of these improvements go into generators. Ive watch some youtube videos of the 'Mules' and it looks like a robot with a generator on its back.
They're probably using generators because noise was never a stipulation in the design parameters. What a bunch of idiots. Cancel a program because
it does something you never stipulated it shouldnt.
That's how government works.
Any mission where this would make sense, it seems that a Hummv would fill the same role. If you want something for patrols or other missions that require silence then it's going to have to be battery operated and I doubt the storage density is high enough to make that work yet.
Quiet is relative, even soundproofed might be too loud. Sounds like a complicated, expensive piece of equipment. When lives matter do you really want to bet your life on a mechanical donkey? What sort of missions are they running anyway? We can bomb you from halfway across the world without landing. If this if for some sort of elite mission, use tier one elite soldiers who can carry their weight. Why not dogs? Or carts? Why not just have robot marines in the first place? Easiest solution I see is to train some soldiers to be pack mules. Pick the best of the lot who can carry weight and that is your main job. So you have a few extra people, a few extra people who can provide assistance besides just hauling stuff.
Seriously, run it on gas for the main "get there" part of the mission, and put in an electric battery that will let it fun quietly for ~30-60 minutes when stealth is needed. Adding in a bigger battery and doing the testing ought to be trivial. It's insane to abandon research into this, especially as the rucksacks for infantrymen continues to increase in weight. The fighting effectiveness of soldiers would be greatly increased if they didn't arrive exhausted from humping 50-100 lbs of gear.
and the ATV is only 7k too.
MOAR PORK.
Alternate uses for the technology.
1. A bomb that can wait near an expected target site, then run over and detonate when commanded to. Basically, a drone that can hide in the bushes.
2. An military-grade electrical generator or hardware hauler that can simplify setting up a forward base with limited access. Alternately, a civilian-grade heavy generator that can be walked into areas with limited access.
3. Military swarm-scare-monster, as described somewhere above in the comments. It could be sent into caves to root out combatants that are hardened against traditional assault methods.
4. Give them shields and swarm behavior to form a shield-wall around soft targets, or gaps between buildings to form a hardened perimeter.
...what else can we come up with?
The first time I saw the "Big Dog" as it was called back in the early days (2008?), I made that comment immediately. It's a remarkable piece of robotics, but it can't be used on a mission. The enemy would hear you coming from miles away. So what is the point? The device doesn't fit the application.
And now, 7 years later they finally figure that out. Wow!
An effective "democracy" creates the illusion the people have a say in their government.
Science fiction isn't reality.
While I don't see Fuel Cells as being very viable for Cars compared to a Lithium Battery, they might serve a good application in this place considering now you neither care about the cost of fuel (or excess CO2 emissions) but the fact that it is silent technology. The downside is you would still need to carry around bottles of Hydrogen Fuel which is explosive although probably not much worse than ammunition or fuel. And while admittedly tanks aren't exactly silent, they do have a point if this is suppose to be used with infantry; You don't want to sound like a lawnmower.
True, but real horses or mules tend to react poorly to gunfire.
Just like people, they can be trained and acclimated. Horses have worked out well for the Marines in the past, even in a completely autonomous mode.
..."
"... Reckless was bought by members of the United States Marine Corps and trained to be a pack horse for the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Anti-Tank Company, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. She quickly became part of the unit and was allowed to roam freely through camp, entering the marines' tents, where she would sleep on cold nights, and was known for her willingness to eat nearly anything, including scrambled eggs, beer, coca-cola and, once, about $30 worth of poker chips. She served in numerous combat actions during the Korean War, carrying supplies and ammunition, and was also used to evacuate wounded. Learning each supply route after only a couple of trips, she often traveled to deliver supplies to the troops on her own, without benefit of a handler. The highlight of her nine-month military career came in late March 1953 during the Battle for Outpost Vegas when, in a single day, she made 51 solo trips to resupply multiple front line units. She was wounded in combat twice
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
It'll get a new job: rescue & firefighting. Neither of which require stealth.
It still has military applications. No all (re)supply missions require stealth. Send a few of these rather than a humvee. They might be able to navigate terrain a humvee could not.
A horse has.
FTFY.
While that's a cool fact, do you have any data to suggest that many horses can do this (and that mules can't)? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that your example is an exception rather than the rule.
Wouldn't just buying a jeep make a lot more sense and be much more easier to repair on the field? This is a really dumb solution in search of a problem. What a waste of cash.
How are we going to colonize the planet Irata now?
God damn you idiots. Make it electrical and just have 3 soldiers carry the battery.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
"carry cargo for weary soldiers in the field"
The Marines don't have any soldiers... that's the army.