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We watched Boston Robotics' LS3 AlphaDog traipse around the confines of a lab last October, but the DARPA-funded quadrupedal robot was a mere puppy then, tethered to a set path. Now the robotic beast is living up to its name and heading to the great outdoors for field testing. Though it won't be tackling stealth missions any time soon — this version is just as loud as the one in the lab — AlphaDog successful navigated rocky inclines and was able to track and follow a human target through the woods. DARPA hopes to refine the concept over the next 18 months and demonstrate the robot's ability to ease the physical load put on unmounted soldiers by carrying 400lbs over 20 miles and without needing refuelling for 24-hours. And if AlphaDog's movements aren't unsettling enough for you, DARPA hopes future versions will be able to interact with soldiers in the field the same way trained animals interact with their handlers.
Comments
Just get an army jeep.. in what situation is someone going to say “darn, I wish we had a slow 4 legged machine with us that has a range of only 20 miles.”… maybe in harsh terrain, but if the rocks were any higher that they were in the video, not even this mule would get through it.
C-c-c-combo breaker - February 9, 2012
well.. say 30cm higher.
C-c-c-combo breaker - February 9, 2012
There is something called development and testing. You can’t jump from nothing to a perfect device.
robbx - February 9, 2012
there was once probably someone who said “just use a horse… in what situation is someone going to say darn, I wish i had a motorized vehicle with a rangle of only 20 miles…”
delta14 - February 9, 2012
Yeah, please show me an army jeep that’s as nimble as this can potentially be, and can navigate itself through unknown terrain, pls do. Do you actually believe that years of man power and money would be wasted if the solution was as simple as a jeep?
TopherManic - February 9, 2012
Your counter argument is not very solid, considering people are funded for dead-end projects everyday. That said, I’m not saying you are wrong, but at this stage an ATV would be much better than this loud awkward robot.
69camaroSS - February 9, 2012
It seems the idea behind this is that it can (eventually) operate autonomously. A ‘fire and forget’ mule w/ no driver needed. That’s the difference between this and a jeep or ATV. These could be programmed to send supplies to a given coordinate set, or even to track and deliver supplies to moving troops.
TheScientists - February 9, 2012
An autonomous ATV could do very much the same thing. An electric one could do it quieter and still have more than a 20 mile range.
69camaroSS - February 10, 2012
How long before we see AR drones (controlled by rebel forces of course) use a cable to tie the legs of one of these things to bring it down?
tranceformer978 - February 9, 2012
Slow,unsteady,low range and wow it’s so stealthy as well……………….lol
You would be better off just having a chinook hover over you with all of your gear cause it’s just as loud. UH FAIL
Mayhemium - February 9, 2012
Look up the definition of “concept”.
TopherManic - February 9, 2012
Your comment, and those of many others here, demonstrates why most people don’t ever do research. As in real scientific research in a lab.
kedmond - February 9, 2012
Criticism is not the enemy of research. Criticism is part of the process; it drives improvement. He has valid concerns. This whole projects is more of a robotics play time disguised with a military goal. It may help advance robotics but the concept will never help foot soldiers, whose main goal is to not be noticed. The mechanics are all wrong for that. Might as well bring a horse with you.
69camaroSS - February 9, 2012
It’s kinda creepy how much this thing looks like the Metal Gear’s from MGS4:
http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Gekko
NaeemTHM - February 9, 2012
I think it’s really awesome in the sense that the developers did their research as to what a working robot would probably look like. I’m not sure when Boston Dynamics released their first ever video, but I’d have to image even if the devs knew about it when making the game, they still had to guess as to whether or not it was a legitimate enough concept to run with.
geiko - February 9, 2012
Once again, today I have lost all hope in humanity by reading the comments on here. I went on the Youtube video page, and translated one of the top comments that was in Russian, and it had the same kind of thought process that the buffoons on here are spewing.
You see the Internet today? You think the Internet was like this from the get-go? You think we had nice images, great video quality, and all things worked out of the box? You fucking numb-nuts. Just try and remember how many codecs you needed for everything to work. And plugins,
IT’S A FUCKING WORK IN PROGRESS YOU FUCKING IDIOTS. GO TO BOSTON DYNAMICS’ YOUTUBE PAGE AND WATCH ALL THE THINGS A FUCKING ROBOT CAN DO. BECAUSE OF THEIR RESEARCH AND PROGRESS, ROBOTS CAN DO WHAT THEY COULDN’T DO 15, 10, OR EVEN 5 YEARS AGO.
geiko - February 9, 2012
WHY did you have to say the C word dammit.
You’re completely correct though.
eallan - February 9, 2012
You da man. :-)
kedmond - February 9, 2012
Best response in the thread.
Chieze O - February 9, 2012
Really……..All hope in humanity.
I’m sorry but a robotic horse that can barely make it over a 3 inch rock without almost falling over that’s as loud as 73 pinto without a muffler may be an advance in robotics’s but not in a military concept vehicle.
Just because your hoping for a robot bride do not criticize the intelligence of those that do not share your man / machine coitus fantasies.
Besides Japan’s eating our lunch in the robotic arena if you haven’t noticed and even they didn’t come up with a robotic horse.
lockheed martin’s version that’s a better real world concept.
Mayhemium - February 9, 2012
Niether of the robots in your pictures could traverse the donkey trails in the mountaineous areas of Afganistan. Let alone carry 400 pounds of equipment while doing so.
SolarSaves - February 9, 2012
http://youtu.be/HnapbzZDDRI
It’s only able to carry a ton. And is fully autonomous. Armed version’s could scout ahead and engage enemy without risking the live’s of soldiers. Plus if the area is that remote use an UAV.
Why with the technology we have would we want to fight a war with what is essentially a technological version of a 19th century beast of burden that can only carry gear as opposed to a fully autonomous ground combat vehicle. Its about saving soldiers not robotic pets.
Fight a smarter war.
"No poor bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making other bastards die for their country."
Gen.George S. Patton
Mayhemium - February 9, 2012
http://youtu.be/kat8I5UM_Vs
This would help traverse the donkey trails! The exo skeleton would be a far better option.Plus the mule could carry it as well.
Mayhemium - February 9, 2012
geiko says: I went on the Youtube video page, and translated one of the top comments that was in Russian
OMG you are the king of trolls
Mayhemium - February 10, 2012
For all of you geniuses who think you know more than the Boston Robotics and DARPA. (you might want to google DARPA to understand what they do).
Ever been in a war, say like in Afganistan with a lot of mountainous terrain that does not have roads for jeeps to travel?
Ever want to be marching along those trails and want to be keeping watch for the enemy instead of driving a jeep (which won’t make it very far in that terrain), or even an ATV – that the enemy can hear and shoot at?
Ever want to not be burdened by 400 pounds of gear and supplies as you walk along those mountain paths while watching for the enemy?
Try to think outside of your little boxes and try to imagine just how these things would be useful for troops in rough terrain in combat conditions.
Your comments just scream of your ignorance of the world outside of the basements where you kids probably still live. And show that you have little imaginations, among other little things…
SolarSaves - February 9, 2012
Your comments just scream of your ignorance of the world outside
Exactly Solar you definitely need to expand your view of the world from your limited knowledge base.
Mayhemium - February 10, 2012
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