Welp, time to pack up and call it a night. Boston Dynamics’ all-terrain robot BigDog, a brother bot to ones that could run 40 mph, jot, and rollover, has now learned the sweet art of destruction. In the organization’s latest video, the DARPA-funded robot has been equipped with a front-facing arm/head that could grab a concrete cinderblock and toss it aside, using its body as a force to hurl blocks at least 15 feet away.
While we can’t figure out exactly why one would ever need robots that can fling concrete bricks, the video is both amazing and terrifying all at once. Since BigDog replies on its hydraulic legs to stay steady, it’s also amusing to see the robot slightly lose balance when it first picks up the cinderblock. The destruction that cometh after, however, is a whole ‘nother story. Perhaps one could argue that a robot with the ability to pick up heavy objects and toss it away could be helpful in clearing obstructed path in military searches and missions, but it’s obvious everyone else is thinking BigDog is eventually going to be made for offense. That’s a pretty wild thought knowing that a giant automaton will possibly hurl objects at enemies – given its additional specs include a 240-pound body, legs that can run nearly 13 miles without stopping, and ability to carry 340 pounds and climb slopes up to 35 degrees under all-weather terrain. What other tricks could Boston Dynamics teach this dog? We’ll just have to wait until the team integrates voice recognition.
Scared or impressed, the development makes for an interesting video to watch, so here is BigDog in all its glory. Doesn’t it look like it had a bit too much to drink?
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