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DARPA's Amazing Robot Pack Mule Keeps its Balance On Ice
Two years ago we showed you Boston Dynamics' incredible BigDog—one of the world's most ambitious legged robots—being developed for DARPA and the U.S. Army. With its advanced system of hyper-responsive hydraulic joints and a suite of sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes, the BigDog's most stunning achievement is it's ability to walk, climb and maintain its balance on diverse terrain, even after slipping on ice or receiving a kick to one side. All while carrying several hundreds of pounds of supplies on its "back."
3.19.2008 at 01:43pm - Comment by tramsJaw-Dropping. I wonder what the feasibility of implementing this technology onto a 2-legged platform would be. I really hope that they scale this up and add some serious firepower to it... I see a 4 Legged AC-130... or an Imperial AT-AT
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December 2009: Best of What's New
In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.
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