Army Terminators Walk Like Men
One of the American military’s leading humanoid robots is Petman. Its job will be to testing chemical protection clothing for the U.S. Army. Petman is being built by Boston Dynamics, famous for its alarmingly lifelike BigDog robotic pack mule. Unlike earlier suit-testing robots, which needed external support, Petman will stand — and walk — on his own two feet.
clipped from www.bostondynamics.com
PETMAN - BigDog gets a Big Brother
Natural, agile movement is essential for PETMAN to simulate how a soldier stresses protective clothing under realistic
conditions. The robot will have the shape and size of a standard human, making it the first anthropomorphic robot that moves
dynamically like a real person.
clipped from www.wired.comMeanwhile, Bucknell University researchers have received a $1.2 million grant for research and development of military robots, including a 5-foot-tall bipedal walker.
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Bucknell receives $1.2 million for military robot research, development
A bi-pedal robot being developed
by Bucknell researchers.
The long-term project focus, Buffinton said, is development of a bipedal walking robot that would move easily in an “unstructured urban environment. It would move over curbs, up stairs and around rubble.”
“It would have various purposes,” said Buffinton. “It could be used for surveillance and to gather information in areas you would not want to risk human life. It could be used in mine disasters. In the case of the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York, rescuers faced working in extremely dangerous conditions and toxic air. Robots could do more to take the risk from humans.”
clipped from www.bucknell.eduEngineers demonstrate legged robots' first steps
The next steps for the bi-pedal robot project are designing a head that contains cameras and information-gathering abilities and equipping the machine with arm-like devices to assist with balancing.
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Sources:
- Army Terminators Walk Like Men | Danger Room | Wired.com
- Boston Dynamics: Dedicated to the Science and Art of How Things Move.
- News: Bucknell receives $1.2 million for military robot research, development || Bucknell University
- News: Engineers demonstrate legged robots taking first steps || Bucknell University
