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    DARPA AlphaDog Robot Steps Lively With 400 Lbs on its Back [VIDEO]

    By Stan Schroeder | Mashable – Thu, Feb 9, 2012

    [More from Mashable: Self-Guided Bullet Strikes Target a Mile Away [VIDEO]]

    The typical soldier can only carry about 100 lbs. worth of gear, but not indefinitely. DARPA's (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) new robotic mule, however, can carry 400 lbs. of gear and never get tired -- and it can do it with a surprising degree of agility.

    Physical overburden of soldiers is one of the top five biggest challenges for the U.S. army, according to DARPA, and a semi-autonomous legged robot, officially named the Legged Squad Support System (LS3), might be one way of fixing that problem.

    [More from Mashable: This Web-Connected Robot Gives Your Tweets and Facebook Comments a Smell]

    In the video above, the LS3 prototype (original developer Boston Dynamics also calls the robot "AlphaDog") shows its ability to follow a person using its sensors and distinguish between various terrain features and obstacles.

    In the next 18 months, DARPA plans to complete the robot's development and ensure it's ready to carry 400 lbs on a 20-mile trek in 24-hours without refueling. It also plans to make it considerably smarter and more observant, making it obey commands such as "stop," "sit or "come here," and updating its visual sensors so it can track a specific individual or object. The LS3 will ultimately be able to autonomously make course corrections if needed.

    “If successful, this could provide real value to a squad while addressing the military’s concern for unburdening troops. LS3 seeks to have the responsiveness of a trained animal and the carrying capacity of a mule,” said Army Lt. Col. Joe Hitt, DARPA program manager.

    Recent similar projects include the Warrior, an Xbox-controlled robot that can navigate rough terrain and lift up to 150 pounds using a mechanical arm.

    Check out some of our other favorite robots in the slideshow below.

    1. The Cubinator

    We met The Cubinator for the first time at the 2010 World Maker Faire. The robot currently holds the Guinness world record for fastest machine solve of a Rubik's cube. Pete Redmond, who developed the robot for the final project of his master's degree, says that its solve time averages about 25 seconds. Webcams in the robot's eyes detect the colors on the cube and the machine solves the puzzle by using an algorithm to find the fewest moves. It also has has a sense of humor, shouting "oh dear!" when it occasionally drops the cube.

    Click here to view this gallery.

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

     

    3 comments

    • Fish Bait
      Fish Bait  •  Searcy, Arkansas  •  3 mths ago
      Oh and It barked alot too:)
    • Fish Bait
      Fish Bait  •  Searcy, Arkansas  •  3 mths ago
      Yeh! but can it fetch:)
    • Bob
      Bob  •  Tacoma, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      "LS3 seeks to have the responsiveness of a trained animal and the carrying capacity of a mule,” Why not use a live mule? Grass for fuel, bio-degradable emissions, not so noisy, and if all else fails you can always kill it and eat it.
      • Fish Bait
        Fish Bait 3 mths ago
        Bob you are correct,But on the noise part mule do bah alot? :)
     Post a comment
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