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Leaked Video Shows New 'Nightmare-Inducing' Wheeled Robot From Boston Dynamics (theverge.com)
Boston Dynamics has a reputation for building robots which push the boundaries of robotics technology, although with a slightly creepy persona. Its latest robot is no different. From a report on The Verge: The company's new wheeled, upright robot is named Handle ("because it's supposed to handle objects") and looks like a cross between a Segway and the two-legged Atlas bot. Handle hasn't been officially unveiled, but was shown off by company founder Marc Raibert in a presentation to investors. Footage of the presentation was uploaded to YouTube by venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson. Raibert describes Handle as an "experiment in combining wheels with legs, with a very dynamic system that is balancing itself all the time and has a lot of knowledge of how to throw its weight around." He adds that using wheels is more efficient than legs, although there's obviously a trade-off in terms of maneuvering over uneven ground. "This is the debut presentation of what I think will be a nightmare-inducing robot," says Raibert.
So many years have been spent trying to make a robot than can walk. However, this is better. This is a robot that can roller skate. It's faster than walking or running, but just as agile!
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
Daleks run on wheels, but they have a weakness, stairs. (Well except until they learned to levitate) Wheels need a flat surface whereas walking legs do not.
when its eyes turn into red lights, and you hear an up and down swooshing sound almost like breathing coming from it, you'll be screaming 'Heavens to Murgatroyd Stumpy Wheels NO!!!' as it rapidly circles you, gracefully slicing carrot-sized strips of flesh from your body before you can even start to react
Me: "Boss, I'd like raise."
Boss: "Sorry, no budget this year."
Me: "My robotic friend back here wants a word with you..."
[*Lunge!*]
Boss: "Aaahhh! OK, OK! you gottit! Now get that thing outta here!"
Table-ized A.I.
How long will it take until they will put a gun on it?
(And use it to control the population?)
Yeah, that has the potential to peg my Creep-O-Meter.
If I met that thing in a darkened warehouse and it started coming for me I'd be shittin' me pants.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
Usually when I consider if a purchase is worthwhile, my first question is: "Will this give me nightmares?"
FTFY
Handle what? Knives? Swords? Throwing stars? Guns?
A phased plasma rifle with a 40 watt range.
Reminded me of the wheelers from Return to Oz for some reason...
It would be one thing, if we were digging up ancient general purpose robots and having gone nowhere with them over thousands of years, decided that they weren't that exciting. That would be rational. But to declare that they can't be done merely because they haven't been done before is colossal ignorance. Virtually everything we do today, beyond the rudimentary level of basic life processes, is something that at one point hadn't been done before.
KEVIN!
STOP tormenting the robot.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
...
i could live a little longer in this prison
I want my Battlemech now. I'm going to get in line at the Apple Store tomorrow. This has to be brought to market.
This thing will result in a mobility revolution for the disabled. Once it's in production and cost comes down. And.. Stairs will be no problem. it balances well enough that half a dozen different solutions should be available (a deploy-able post would be easy)
they're doing a revival of "Starlight Express"?
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
We used to build stuff like this in college. It's actually an easier problem to realize than bi (or quaddru)pedal locomotion
On condition that that's not fake, that machine is positively badass. I have the most profound admiration for the technology that went into it, and the engineers that did this job.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
GIF is sped up. the video is at normal speed
Yeah! God damn those money-wasting robot building idiots! How dare they fritter away all that money building the kind of cool machines most of us only ever dreamed of as children? Crucifixion's too good for 'em!
Yeah, I remember watching wheeled robots accelerate and jump over things... What is the point of your inane post?
It's a fucking Tachikoma
And yes, they are cute and very, very helpful
Looking at the headless shoulder, the empty arms and wheeled legs, it definitely has some creepy factors.
But DAMN, this thing does better than most robotic designs at moving around at high speed. Heck, it can even spins and jump!
All I'll need is a car shell and BAM! I'll have my own transformer! Nightmare => Best Dream Ever!
+1 to the Engineers.
GIF playback speed is inconsistent between browser brands and PC's in experience.
I suspect it's because although time between frames is standardized in the GIF standard, the frame render time adds additional implementation and hardware specific time gaps that are either not accounted for, or compensated for differently in diff browsers.
For example, in normal video playback, if the rendering can't keep up with the stated frame rate due to slow hardware or taxed CPU, frames may be partially or fully dropped to keep the average timing proper. Animated GIF's don't seem to do this; they just run slow.
Table-ized A.I.
Meh, it's no ED-209, looks more like something from Wallace and Grommet.
Nullius in verba
I saw the video on the page of it moving and jumping and I immediately thought about robotic horses. It could be so cute, every kid would want one.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
Once in a while, give it organic oil instead of synthetic oil as a treat. Tachikoma's love treats.
I don't know. Give it a gun and see what happens. It could be useful
I agree, it's really quite graceful. The pirouette reminded me of figure ice skaters.
Link to a youtube video for those interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Sarah Connor will rain on your parade once she gets back.
Requiem for the American Dream
That this was an excellent example of "Go back and try again, only this time get your head out of your ass and get into the game"