Techology Video: Alpha Dog Robot

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Story by Hal Goodtree. Photo from Boston Dynamics.

Cary, NC – Here is a cool and inspiring technology video to start off your Monday morning: three generations of a sure-footed robot dog that can carry 400 pounds in combat.

Robot Dog

Soldiers and marines in the field can need to carry 75 pounds or more of equipment for hours at a time. The military wanted a something mechanical to help out – strong as mule, agile and small like a dog.

Boston Dynamics, with a grant from DARPA and the U.S. Marine Corps, developed the L3 Alpha Dog, also called the Big Dog. This video of the Big Dog shows three generations of the mechanical creature, from lab and parking lot to the field with a military unit. You can also see it on YouTube.

Other Boston Dynamics robots:

  • RiSE – an insect-like robot that can scale buildings
  • RHex – looks like a cross between a bulldog and a tank
  • SquishBot – a soft, shape-changing ‘bot that looks like a centipede and can squeeze through tight places.

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