Roll over! The amazing moment a giant robotic dog falls into a riverbed (and gets straight back up again)
- 400 pound robot is being developed to follow soldiers on the battlefield and carry heavy equipment
- Can follow voice commands from its 'owner' and automatically follow them for upto 200 miles
US military bosses today showed off the latest tricks they have taught a giant robotic dog.
Officially named LS3 but dubbed AlphaDog, the four-legged, autonomous robot can follow a soldier, and is designed to carry heavy equipment.
Researcher have given it a dramatic update, allowing it to listen to its owner and follow voice commands - as well as the ability to roll over.
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The mechanical mutt is shown walkiing into a dry riverbed and stumbling
Dog down! The huge beast rolls sideways as it loses its footing
The dog is able to roll over itself to get upright
After rolling, the giant robot simply gets back up and carries on walking
In an amazing new video released by US military research agency Darpa, the 400 pound robot is shown walking into a riverbed and falling over dramatically - before simply rolling over and getting back up again.
The machine, one of a series designed by Boston Dynamics, can stand upright, walk for 20 miles without a break and carry up to 400 pounds.
One of the firm's other robot, dubbed Cheetah, recently broke the world speed record for robots.
'LS3 seeks to demonstrate that a highly mobile, semi-autonomous legged robot can carry 400 lbs of a squad’s load, follow squad members through rugged terrain and interact with troops in a natural way, similar to a trained animal and its handler,' the Darpa agency said.
It revealed tests with Marines have already begun.
The robots could one day become a common sight on the battlefield as they track soldiers, working together in packs to carry heavy equipment through rough terrain
'We’ve refined the LS3 platform and have begun field testing against requirements of the Marine Corps,' said Army Lt. Col. Joe Hitt, DARPA program manager.
'This was the first time DARPA and MCWL were able to get LS3 out on the testing grounds together to simulate military-relevant training conditions.
'The robot’s performance in the field expanded on our
expectations, demonstrating, for example, how voice commands and 'follow
the leader' capability would enhance the robot’s ability to interact
with warfighters.
'We were able to put the robot through difficult natural terrain and test its ability to right itself with minimal interaction from humans.'
The robots have been in development for several years, and are built by Boston Dynamics, who also develop other robotic animals
Video from the testing shows the robot negotiating diverse terrain
including ditches, streams, wooded slopes and simulated urban
environments.
The video also shows the map the LS3 perception system
creates to determine the path it takes.
'The LS3 has demonstrated it is very stable on its legs, but if it should tip over for some reason, it can automatically right itself, stand up and carry on.
The December testing at Fort Pickett is the first in a series of planned demonstrations that will test the robot’s capabilities across different environments as development continues through the first half of 2014.
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