RonMar
Elite Member
Pretty complex... And from the terrain tests they showed, I think something with tracks could do just as well if not better. Interesting exercise though.
You gotta see this Big Dog!
- Thread starter tallyho8
- Start date
- Views: 3218
jinman
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2001
- Messages
- 20,387
- Location
- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
- Tractor
- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
RonMar said:
Ron, do you think they could have something with tracks that weighed only 240 lb and would carry 1-1/2 times its weight? I think the legs give it a lot more mobility over/through streams and although it is slow, it did not get hung up as some tracked vehicles do on very rough terrain. I'd be the first to admit that it is not practical at this point, but it's one of the best demonstration of concept that didn't look like a bumbling, stumbling, robot. This thing really looks stable, and to me that is a real advancement in technology.
Did everyone notice how quiet it was when tethered inside the laboratory and the gas engine did not have to run? To me, the gas engine sounded like a huge horsefly.
If they could run this thing on batteries, they might be able to charge them with solar panels or a small generator and operate it in "quiet mode" for a couple of hours.
JB4310
Super Member
I agree, you can't even compare 100 year old tracked mover "technology" to what is going on with this thing.
This thing has a million years of animal instinct programed in to it with supercomputers, and is so intuitive that it's now learning on it's own to keep it's balance. I had to watch the video a few times to be sure there wasn't some cirque desolei (sp) actors under there, the leg movements are absolutely animal like, to fall down on it's knees and scramble up to it's feet like that is incredible! It has to be learning to have all those corrective moves, I don't think that could be programed.
Yea, it may be a little slow now but I'm surprised we are even seeing this technology and it's not being kept secret, since it is so far advanced from any other robots I've ever seen. (not that I've seen alot).
JB,
This thing has a million years of animal instinct programed in to it with supercomputers, and is so intuitive that it's now learning on it's own to keep it's balance. I had to watch the video a few times to be sure there wasn't some cirque desolei (sp) actors under there, the leg movements are absolutely animal like, to fall down on it's knees and scramble up to it's feet like that is incredible! It has to be learning to have all those corrective moves, I don't think that could be programed.
Yea, it may be a little slow now but I'm surprised we are even seeing this technology and it's not being kept secret, since it is so far advanced from any other robots I've ever seen. (not that I've seen alot).
JB,
RonMar
Elite Member
Yea, it might have the edge in 2' of water The terrain in that video all had solid bases though. Wonder how it will do with mud? Just hearing that 2 stroke engine screaming away at constant power driving, most likley a hydraulic pump and a generator, and I wonder how efficient and reliable it will be.
Humans and animals evolved partly out of necessity and one of the necessities was to be efficient(not use your stored energy faster than you can collect it). Taken in the context of weight moved, we(animals) are the most efficient processors of energy.
This technology isn't super secret and has been around for a while, but it is usually tethered or electric. I havn't seen it in this packaging either. Now if we could mimmic the electro elastic properties of muscle, then some pretty interesting machines are possible...
The terrain in that video all had solid bases though. Wonder how it will do with mud? Just hearing that 2 stroke engine screaming away at constant power driving, most likley a hydraulic pump and a generator, and I wonder how efficient and reliable it will be.Humans and animals evolved partly out of necessity and one of the necessities was to be efficient(not use your stored energy faster than you can collect it). Taken in the context of weight moved, we(animals) are the most efficient processors of energy.
This technology isn't super secret and has been around for a while, but it is usually tethered or electric. I havn't seen it in this packaging either. Now if we could mimmic the electro elastic properties of muscle, then some pretty interesting machines are possible...
xlr82v2
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2004
- Messages
- 703
- Location
- Southwestern Illinois
- Tractor
- 2007 Mahindra 3525, 1952 Ford 8N
I'll bet that the engine is powering an air compressor... hydraulics would be too heavy and bulky and slow, I would think...
And if you watch the indoor tethered portion, you can hear the air exhausting from the actuators as it moves.
And if you watch the indoor tethered portion, you can hear the air exhausting from the actuators as it moves.
RonMar
Elite Member
From the Boston Dynamics website. "BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics family of robots. It is a quadruped robot that walks, runs, and climbs on rough terrain and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system."
The loads on those knee and hip joints at the weights they are talking about while walking and jumping are tremendous(animal legs are wonders). The pressures required to deal with these forces would be really dangerous if the transmission medium was compressed air.
They have some more video on their website of the BD as well as other models. I thought the Rhex was kind of interesting.
Boston Dynamics: Dedicated to the Science and Art of How Things Move.
The loads on those knee and hip joints at the weights they are talking about while walking and jumping are tremendous(animal legs are wonders). The pressures required to deal with these forces would be really dangerous if the transmission medium was compressed air.
They have some more video on their website of the BD as well as other models. I thought the Rhex was kind of interesting.
Boston Dynamics: Dedicated to the Science and Art of How Things Move.
xlr82v2
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2004
- Messages
- 703
- Location
- Southwestern Illinois
- Tractor
- 2007 Mahindra 3525, 1952 Ford 8N
Wow... that's really interesting... I never would have thought that they could get that kind of speed with hydraulics.
Blagadan said:
What scares me is thinking about the day when true AI becomes a reality and somebody gives the computers control of the bomb and they (computers) decide in a nano-second that we (humans) aren't necessary anymore.
Can anyone say Doomsday?
JB4310
Super Member
I didn't want to bring that up but I was thinking along those lines, I would say that thing is demonstrating AI now, and I don't think it's too far a stretch of the imagination to be at least a little concerned about a Frankenstein (original version) or Terminator scenario, and the "moral of the storey" they convey.
John,
John,
JB4310
Super Member
RonMar said:
I looked at the others but am still blown away by the leg movements that Big Dog has, watched the video quit a few times already. This one most have got most of the R&D money.
BTW, showed it to my wife and she is convinced there are 2 guys under there!!!
John,