Monday, March 17, 2008

Boston Dynamics shows off lifelike robot dog

Robotics firm Boston Dynamics Inc. has shown off the latest results of its $10 million DARPA award from last August with a new video on YouTube featuring its Big Dog quadruped robot that shows organic, lifelike balance and movement.

The video, which can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww, shows the robot climbing through the woods, through snow, and recovering its balance while trying to negotiate an icy parking lot.

Boston Dynamics engineers were contracted to develop a robot with the ability to run, maneuver and jump to avoid obstacles. The robot would measure 1 meter tall and 2 meters wide, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The goal of the project, which was slotted to last 15 months, is to produce a robot with animal-like strength, speed and mobility, according to defense officials.

The DARPA contract, which was commissioned by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego, includes three one-year contract renewals valued at total of $40 million.

Waltham-based Boston Dynamics spun out from MIT and was founded in 1992.