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BigDog
By Linda | May 1, 2008
He might not have Rosie the Robot’s charm and personality, but Boston Dynamics’ “packbot” BigDog is billed as the most advanced quadruped robot on earth.
BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. His legs are articulated like an animal’s, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. At about the size of a large dog (3 feet long, 2 feet tall and 165 lbs), BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, and carries a 340 lb load.
BigDog is being developed by Boston Dynamics with the goal of creating robots that have rough-terrain mobility that can take them anywhere on Earth that people and animals can go.
Check out the video below to see BigDog in action. BigDog illustrates the huge strides robotic technology has made in recent years. His ability to react and adjust to varying terrains and regain balance after being roughly knocked is amazing! Athough BigDog’s abilities obviously lend themselves to military applications, it’s my hope that these technologies can find their way into other pursuits such as space exploration.
Topics: In the News, Technology |
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