Gizmodo: BigDog

Video of BigDog Beta Quadruped Robot Is So Stupid It's Hilarious

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:30:00 EDT

If you thought Humanity was damned after watching the latest BigDog quadruped robot, prepare to loot the nearest supermarket and run for the hills, because this video of the beta version of BigDog will leave you in awe. And probably make you wet your pants like some of the best Monty Python skits. Peter Furia (who I hope is Nick's cousin and works at SHIELD) sent us the exclusive high resolution footage this morning and told us the story behind it.

Jesús Díaz: WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS SACRED AND GOOD IS THIS?
Peter Furia: The BigDog Beta itself is Beau and me in black tights and turtlenecks.

JD: Why?
PF: This video was just for fun, as was our popular music video "Mac or PC" but Seedwell is our newly created viral marketing company. It was co-founded by David Fine, Beau Lewis and myself. We produce content both for fun and for hire. We are also currently working on viral video campaigns for several other companies, and look forward to working with more and more companies as the demand for creative, viral content increases.

I don't know about their other videos, but if they are this good, these guys are gold. Let's see how viral this one gets.

If you want to contact Peter to hire Seedwell, contact him via email

New Video of BigDog Quadruped Robot Is So Stunning It's Spooky

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:47:49 EDT

Update: If you were amazed by this, don't miss the hilarious spoof. It's even better. Boston Dynamics keeps working on their BigDog quadruped robot, which will probably grow to be the future AT-AT of the Pentagon. Its evolution since the last time we saw it is nothing sort of mindblowing, and a bit spooky.

It looks like an actual biological quadruped. Seeing it climb through rubble, snow, jumping over obstacles like a wild goat, and saving a near-fall on iced ground at the last second (fast forward to the middle of the video) defies belief. It feels so "animal" that I almost feel bad when they hit it to demonstrate how it regains balance on its own.

The new version of the robot can now carry 340 pounds, which is almost triple the previous weight. It looks to me that that $10 million funding they got from Darpa has been put to good use. [IEEE]

Robotic Pack Mule is More Pantomime Horse than BigDog

Addy Dugdale — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:47:31 EDT

The BigDog, from Boston Dynamics, a company specializing in human simulation, is just weird. A robotic pack mule that runs on petrol, travels at up to 3.3mph over all sorts of terrain, and can carry up to 120 lb, BigDog has received $10 million of funding from the Pentagon. Check how it moves in a 2006 video after the jump.

[YouTube via UberGizmo]