Robotic conveyances like the BigDog attest to the advances that biomimetic beings have made in recent years. But the walking machines of today lack that sinister je ne sais quoi of old-school robots, namely Odetics' ODEX series of insectoid walkers.
The creators of this experimental walker envisioned using it for battlefield applications and braving the radioactive areas of nuclear power plants. Although it wasn't the zippiest robot around, the 300-pound ODEX-1 could carry 900 pounds while walking normally.
Even though these particular ODEX models never saw widespread usage, during their heyday they were presumably used for many a pants-soiling office prank and press conferences in the Omni Consumer Products mold (that were decidedly less ill-fated).
This video of the ODEX-1 comes us to from the folks at Cybernetic Zoo, who introduced us to such unapologetically bad-ass creations as the GE Walking Truck and the Adaptive Suspension Vehicle.
For more information on the ODEX-1, check out some of these older pieces from Popular Science and Robotics Age. The Old Robots and Cybernetic Zoo also have galleries of the various ODEX designs.