Robots from Boston Dynamics and more

[Crispy]

You all remember Big Dog, the 4-legged cargo robot with uncannily lifelike movement, that could walk on uneven groun, even ice, and resist being pushed over. Now, there's new video of Boston Dynamics latest project, Petman. A Bipedal robot of similar size and weight as a human, that has full dynamic stability whilst performing a wide range of human motion including walking, running, squatting, kneeling and even press-ups. This is the absolute cutting edge of humanoid robotics. Incredible stuff.

 

[dilute micro]

It's all happening right before our eyes.

 

[goldenecitrone]

It's all happening right before our eyes.

Indeed, poor old fitness instructors will be out of a job before too long.

 

[rubbershoes]

It doesn't have that that scary buzzing that Big Dog had.

 

[Frankie Jack]

It's gonna be military innit.

 

[DotCommunist]

Cyberdyne

 

[goldenecitrone]

It's gonna be military innit.

Whatever gave you that idea? It could easily be a robot social worker or dental nurse.

 

[Crispy]

Funded by DARPA to test hazmat suits. You can't test a hazmat suit for resistance to hazardous materials through normal human motion unless you have a robot that can wear the suit and perform normal human motion, that doesn't care if the suit fails.

 

[editor]

Whatever gave you that idea? It could easily be a robot social worker or dental nurse.

It's been specifically developed for testing clothing for the US Army.

 

[goldenecitrone]

It's been specifically developed for testing clothing for the US Army.

That's its primary use, but once they get them up and running I'm sure they'll be working in children's play groups and caring for old people. We live in such cynical times.

 

[DotCommunist]

It sort of looks like you'd imagine ED209 with no clothes on

 

[weltweit]

RoboCop, iRobot, Terminator ....

 

[goldenecitrone]

RoboCop, iRobot, Terminator ....

Kindergarden Robot.

 

[chemn]

Amazing. Terrifying.

The future's coming!! Head for the hills!!

 

[weltweit]

I am not convinced of the logic of making robots resemble humans. I mean it is not like with now seven billion humans on the planet that we are likely to have a shortage of humans anytime soon.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

I am not convinced of the logic of making robots resemble humans. I mean it is not like with now seven billion humans on the planet that we are likely to have a shortage of humans anytime soon.

Au contraire I heard a report on the electric wireless about population change that said that population expansion will cease by about 2050 and decline from there on. It didn't say why, but perhaps resources comes into it.

I liked the comment in a post above about 'when it gets up and running'. It looks to me as if that will be the next stage on from the urgent marching that it does at the moment.

I noticed that during that test a man leaned out and pushed the robot off track. It just corrected itself and carried on. The next model will hit the man back and floor him.

 

[weltweit]

It isn't stand alone yet, it has a massive umbilical chord hanging out of its back...

 

[Crispy]

Yep. The annoying buzzing that bigdog made was the petrol engine providing power for the hydraulics. Bigdog in the lab was practically silent when running on umbilical like PETMAN. There's nothing preventing PETMAN from running on a similar engine.

Energy storage is the big problem with autonomous robots. Batteries suck, and our actuators are inefficient.

 

[TruXta]

But can it cook and crack jokes in the middle of a war?

 

[DotCommunist]

Is it toshiba who are working on those mini nuclear reactor? That could work.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

It isn't stand alone yet, it has a massive umbilical chord hanging out of its back...

I suppose that chord could be connected to a mobile wheeled robot containing a generator and which followed the biped around. Not elegant but until they invent really small but powerful rechargeable batteries that is the best I can think of. Or maybe a portable Honda generator carried in a backpack. That would look very tacky though.

 

[weltweit]

I also noticed in the video that it had thin hawsers attached to its shoulders to prevent it falling over.. shows some lack of trust in its designers, or that it just isn't there yet..

 

[Hocus Eye.]

Is it toshiba who are working on those mini nuclear reactor? That could work.

The Toshiba micro nuclear reactor is not portable. It is in the form of a cylinder placed 30 metres underground and with a building on top of it. So says my mate Wikepedia.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

I also noticed in the video that it had thin hawsers attached to its shoulders to prevent it falling over.. shows some lack of trust in its designers, or that it just isn't there yet..

You often see young toddlers with similar provision in the form of reins. Give the robot a few months to learn how to walk steadily.

 

[weltweit]

Well, I'm agin it !!

flucking robots !!

 

[SpookyFrank]

Why the suffering fuck would you want a robot to do press ups?

e2a: At about 0:28 in that video we see the robot raising its arms above its head. Was it designed for the French military by any chance?

 

[weltweit]

Why the suffering fuck would you want a robot to do press ups?

So it can build up its upper arm and body muscles!

 

[stuff_it]

T-1

 

[Hocus Eye.]

There is a very old story about a car factory manager in dispute with his union. The manager said that robots were going to be put in to replace the workers. He said to the union leader. "Let's see you get union subs out of those robots". To which the union leader replied "I will get union subs out of the robots just as soon as you can get them to buy your cars".

 

[editor]

Big Dog robot is back and now it can toss breeze blocks around like toys. Be scared. Be very scared.

http://www.wirefresh.com/big-dog-robot-gains-powerful-rock-throwing-arm-fuels-many-more-nightmares/