Move over, BigDog — introducing AlphaDog
September 30, 2011
LS3 (credit: Boston Dynamics)
AlphaDog is the new robot in town from Boston Dynamics. Think Big Dog on steroids.
AlphaDog (official name: LS3 (Legged Squad Support System) is designed to assist soldiers in carrying heavy loads (up to 400 lbs of gear) over rough terrain, IEEE Spectrum blogger Erico Guizzo reports.
The LS3 Legged Squad Support System is designed to go anywhere soldiers and marines go on foot. It can carry up to 400 lbs of gear and enough fuel for missions covering 20 miles and lasting 24 hours. (Credit: Boston Dynamics)
AlphaDog is getting close to something that can be used in the field, using GPS navigation and computer vision to follow soldiers while carrying their gear over any kind of terrain, IEEE Spectrum blogger Evan Ackerman notes. DARPA and the U.S. Marines will begin to put the robot through its paces next year.
Comments (8)
by Ralph Dratman
It looks more like a buffalo. A real one might turn out to be less trouble. I don’t see how one of these gadgets is going to be trouble-free. Imagine having to troubleshoot and repair your bison every hour or two. Where’s the user’s guide for this thing? Oh, right, a PDF. Well, it is 14,000 pages long.
by aaron987
This could be useful, but what happens when an RPG hits it and destroys the 400 pounds of fuel, ammo, medical supplies, and other vital equipment it is carrying? There does not appear to be any armor to protect the payload. If an RPG can hit a helicopter moving very quickly in 3 dimensions, they can certainly hit this thing running along the ground in a straight line.
by ozzy
cant they just use a real horse? am sure it would be cheaper.
by David T
I really have to agree… reminds me of the millions spent developing the Zero-gravity pen, while the Soviets simply used a pencil. Hmmm, who has the active space program now?
by Khannea Suntzu
The most impressive achievements of military apparatus of both the Roman empire as well as WW2 Germany were just months before their respective collapse and annihilating defeat. Let’s hope this time this technology is not lost, and is used for peaceful ends. I am sickened to my stomach by that constant skull&crossbones association when I pick up the telltale unholy signs of pentagon, DOD and DARPA. Or any other military wastefulness for that matter, anywhere on this planet.
It keeps going on, like a beast feeding on itself. I suppose there are even misguided people ‘proud’ with this.
by Singme
Seriously, how are you going to power this beast for any long periods?
by rbwilli
It runs on freedom.
by Nuffigus
I think it’s safe to say we’ll have some real life AT-AT’s running around in a decade or two.