Big Dog is fantastic looking machine being created by Boston Dynamics. DARPA is funding development of Big Dog, they have also funded development of the Tree Climbing Robot.
“BigDog has an on-board computer that controls locomotion, servos the legs and handles a wide variety of sensors. BigDog’s control system manages the dynamics of its behavior to keep it balanced, steer, navigate, and regulate energetics as conditions vary. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a laser gyroscope, and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature, rpm, battery charge and others.
So far, BigDog has trotted at 3.3 mph, climbed a 35 degree slope and carried a 120 lb load.
BigDog is being developed by Boston Dynamics with help from Foster Miller, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. Development is funded by the DARPA Defense Sciences Office.”
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March 25th, 2006
I need one of these for a pet
March 31st, 2006
Hmmm not sure I am in love with the name. Something like Husky would have sounded better. Big dog sounds like a pet.
April 4th, 2006
I wonder if it would chase a mailman
April 10th, 2006
Can you scale this concept up to the sixe of a horse… what a ride!
January 17th, 2007
Cardioj, i really agree with you, but even at the size it is now if you weigh under 120 theres no problem lol no really ill pay
anything to own one myself.