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Robot Mule Put Out To Pasture By Marine Corps (nbcnews.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the quiet-down-now dept.

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.

30 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Taxpayer dollars by Dunbal · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's good to know that $30 million dollars is only good to imitate Santa's reindeer.

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    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  2. what's wrong with real mules? by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    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.

    1. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 3, Funny

      So a deaf horse. Sheesh. I gotta do all the thinkin' round here?

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    2. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by bfpierce · · Score: 2

      Apparently not thinking hard, considering you still want the thing to actually be able to respond to voice based commands.

    3. Re: what's wrong with real mules? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      So you teach the horse sign language....

    4. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      True, but real horses or mules tend to react poorly to gunfire.

      I'm glad nobody told these guys:

      http://www.sonofthesouth.net/l...

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    5. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by hey! · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well, the US Army used mules regularly until 1957, and they're still used occasionally in special operations. The Marine Corps still conducts training in handling pack animals at it's mountain warfare training center.

      Pack animals do make sense in limited situations, and mules are superior to horses in those situations because they require less and lower quality feed.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    6. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by Culture20 · · Score: 2

      Something never considered or shown in movies or RPGs: horses require a lot of food if they're going to be working; essentially all the weight they would be carrying in equipment would need to be oats and hay instead. They can't graze to get enough energy if they're working hard; grass and twigs just don't have enough calories. The MULE runs on something the military handles in its current supply chains: gasoline. Bioengineer a horse that can eat MREs and you'll have a quiet (but smelly) alternative to this robot.

    7. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by perpenso · · Score: 2

      Previous experience with horses by the Marines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    8. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by perpenso · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Bioengineer a horse that can eat MREs and you'll have a quiet (but smelly) alternative to this robot.

      No need to bioengineer, nature has already provided such horses. "She was fond of a wide variety of foodstuffs, entertaining the platoon by eating scrambled eggs and drinking Coca-Cola and beer. Food could not be left unattended around her. She was known to eat bacon, buttered toast, chocolate bars, hard candy, shredded wheat, peanut butter sandwiches and mashed potatoes."
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    9. Re:what's wrong with real mules? by KGIII · · Score: 2

      Quite simply the mule no longer serves a purpose.

      I am not sure which mule you speak of - living or robotic. I linked this above so you'll probably not see it:
      http://olive-drab.com/od_army-...

      The US military still uses animals for carrying stuff and for transportation - they've done so fairly recently. Google has a bunch of other information - if you're curious.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  3. Just use a better muffler??? by halfdan+the+black · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Just use a better muffler??? by Spy+Handler · · Score: 2

      Honda generators are very quiet and extremely well-engineered. A favorite among the RV crowd.

      http://powerequipment.honda.co...

      Maybe Boston Dynamics engineers should get one of these and do some reverse-engineering.

    2. Re:Just use a better muffler??? by Shinobi · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Stealth isn't only about sound, it's also about visual signature, heat output etc.

    3. Re:Just use a better muffler??? by halfdan+the+black · · Score: 2

      A better muffler and some sound padding weighs maybe 10 lbs, the muffler on my Jetta Diesel weighs less than 10 lbs.

    4. Re:Just use a better muffler??? by halfdan+the+black · · Score: 2

      Yeah, the engine's themselves are loud when you're in the engine room, but the motor mounts are designed to isolate any vibration from the hull, the engine room is designed with all sorts vibration isolation and sound proofing. None of this is very technical or difficult. Like a previous post said, look how quite Honda generators are, you can barely hear them running, and all it took was some good motor mounts, a good muffler, and if you ever take one apart, you'll see Honda engines have double layer valve covers, where there are two steel stampings on the outside which sandwich a rubber type layer in between them. This is a super effective sound proofer and is also very cheap and simple.

      The point I was trying to make is that all it would have taken was a few hundred dollars in a better muffler, motor mounts and maybe some shielding. You'll also notice that the mule looked very much like a prototype with a bare frame and everything, I'm sure a finished one would have had covers over the engine, and actually used a muffler. My guess is they just took an off the shelf farm type engine, which tend to be noisy. Its an easy fix to make it quiet.

    5. Re:Just use a better muffler??? by Megol · · Score: 2

      *Sigh*

      He didn't - try to read what people actually write. He stated that stealth isn't just sound and that is 100% correct.

  4. maybe it was the wrong application by nimbius · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.
    1. Re:maybe it was the wrong application by Coren22 · · Score: 2

      rough terrain, as in rocky and steep. I doubt the tortoise could manage much faster. I doubt the humans are moving much faster on the rough terrain they are speaking of.

      BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, climbs muddy hiking trails, walks in snow and water, and carries 340 lb load.

      http://www.bostondynamics.com/...

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  5. brotha, can you spare any crystite? by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Funny

    damn thing kept getting spooked by lightning storms and running off with all my Smithore

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    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  6. You idiots. by truck_soccer · · Score: 2

    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.

    1. Re:You idiots. by tomhath · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, they said it was a successful prototype and they intend to continue development on the next model, based in part on what they learned from this one. Normal R&D.

  7. Re:And humvees are stealthy? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 2

    >> humvees with a 50cal on the roof

    To be fair, the 50cal is pretty quiet until it fires. :)

  8. Re:It'll get a new job: rescue & firefighting by OrangeTide · · Score: 4, Insightful

    With its payload capacity, it could probably carry 40 gallons of water, that could make a big difference for a wildland firefighter.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  9. Re:For your consideration by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2

    And it came to pass that the goats layed down with the greyhound,
    and thus the goathound was begat!
    It has a really great personality...

    --
    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  10. Re:Impressive Robotics Work by turp182 · · Score: 2

    First, it's easy to opportunistically refuel a gasoline powered engine. And fast.

    Not so much with batteries.

    As well, the energy density of Li-on batteries is very low compared to gasoline (44.4 mj/kg for gasversus .36-.875 mj/kg for battery).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    Consider that the battery pack on a Tesla S comes in at 1,200 pounds or so:
    https://my.teslamotors.com/for...

    That's for about 250 miles of travel.

    Gasoline weights about 8.3 pounds per gallon. The equivalent weight results in 144.58 gallons of gas (probably requiring a smaller volume area), and at a low 15 miles per gallon that would be 2,170 miles or so, about a factor of 10 better.

    Batteries are nothing compared to fossil fuel that has had multi-million years to process naturally (basically capturing and compressing the power of the sun over long periods of time).

    My numbers are probably off a bit, but they are ball park at worst...

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
  11. Re:For your consideration by Darinbob · · Score: 2

    Vote goat.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  12. Re:Impressive Robotics Work by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 2

    They probably don't want to rely solely on batteries because it would take a long time to recharge. Fuel cells might provide a solution in that it could be easily recharged. It wouldn't be good to get halfway through a trip, have the batteries run dry, and then need to wait for them to recharge.

  13. Re:No all supply missions require stealth by Beezlebub33 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes, and I'm guessing this is all sour grapes.

    Google doesn't do military applications. They bought Boston Dynamics and have told the military that they are not going to do any more military research. So, the military said, 'Well, we don't want it anyway, because it's too loud'. That gets Boston Dynamics out of the business and lets the Marines save face.

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    The more people I meet, the better I like my dog.
  14. Simple by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2

    God damn you idiots. Make it electrical and just have 3 soldiers carry the battery.

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