Boston Dynamics' Big Dog

First of all some background. Boston Dynamics is an engineering company specializing in robotics and human simulation. It was started in 1992 as a spin-off of MIT. It has many applications in the military and various robotic divisions around the world consult with Boston Dynamics.

Big Dog, billed as the most advanced quadruped on the planet, "... 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". As you can see from the video and the specs on its web page, this is a rather large machine (at 1 meter long, 0.7 meters tall and 75 kg weight) with impressive physical capabilities such as the ability to climb a 35 degree slope, trots at 3.3 mph and carried a 120 lb load. I can only speculate that Big Dog is to be initially used in military applications: weapons delivery, possible medical supply unit, scouting enemy lines etc. Hell, the thing by itself should make the enemy piss his pants.

This, ladies and gentleman, is the scariest fucking thing I have ever seen. And the fact that it makes a really loud buzzing sound DOES NOT help at all. And the second thing that went through my mind after I saw it was, "I want one!!" I cannot wait until this thing gets released to the general public. This is so cool!

LINKS:
About Boston Dynamics
Big Dog
Another video