[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBSK7LYpg9w]
Dating back to September of 2007, this certainly isn’t new news, but its new to us. This is Little dog, the miniature version of the ever so creepy Big Dog. We aren’t sure if the lack of Big dogs signature jogging in place makes this little guy seem more lifelike or less. Little dog was designed to be a research platform into study automated navigation of natural terrain. We wouldn’t mind having one of these around the office, though we would have to add some kind of a head or face to give it some character.
[via Bot Junkie]
In the name of all that is holy, give this creature a head, and take the antennae off its pooper. Otherwise very cool in a hellish nightmare kind of way.
Definately ball worthy.
Kinda looks like a wingless cockroach with the antennas coming out it’s rear
world’s slowest headcrab
Yeah I was walking and crawling over things pretty much like that last Saturday night. Maybe it went to the same nightclub?
Headcrab!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/54/Headcrab.jpg
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks big dog is creepy.
I actually got a chance to listen to a lecture given by one of the teams in the little dog competitions. They “race” across the different terrains by pre-computing paths through them, optimizing them for the robots available movements, and then use some interesting control algorithms to get actual movement close to the planned path. They don’t know the terrain until the competition, so compute time is part of the race. I think the most interesting aspect of the competition is that it is not done with team hardware, the algorithms are sent off and used in a controlled setting for testing without the teams even being present!
If you are interested in controls I would highly recommend you look into this a little further.
I don’t know if this is true for city people but for me it’s the feet that are creepy, makes it look like a skun anamal still walking around. very cool thou.
Yea both of these robots are awesome/creepy… I agree that big dog is a bit more creepy and lifelike. the movements on this one are a lot more rigid than big dog.
are they using big/little dog anywhere? i’ve been seeing them for a while now but haven’t heard of any applications… are they out conducting secret missions that we don’t know about?
It’s got a worm hanging out of its butt
whats with the obnoxious crashing noise every few seconds, turn down the mic.
This would be cool to skin as a houndeye from halflife.
If it’s a “dog” why does it look like a cockroach?
they need something in the video to show the scale of the bot….
it’s about the size of a small dog…
Move the antennae off it’s butt to the front and call it what it really is; a really big robot cockroach.
it looks like ALIEN from Alien vs Predator
Very nice job.
Haha! He even has an grip for throwing him away!
More I see robots with legs… more i like wheels.
creepy but cute, also, make it walk like a real dog and put a head and some skin on it, but right now it reminds me of my dog + a June bug.
In the video of the big dog on you tube, I love how it reacted to being kicked by the guy. it reacted just like a quadrupedal animal, except slower. Fluent lifelike motion. Yea it looks creepy too, decapitated dog thing. On a side note the Japanese have a trippy snake robot that can swim and go across just about anything.
My guess would be the “jogging in place” of the big version is to compensate for the inertia of its combustion engine.
this does look very much like something from half-life… perhaps we could create a real life half-life – like a theme park or something. have big dogs and little dogs coming after you as you battle your way through the fairground with nothing but a crowbar
This technology is neat, would be a great way to replace wheelchairs, I’m getting sick of ramps all over the place.
how is this a robot dog and not just a robot?
@Hirudwsainea
wouldnt ramps be easier than steps?
im getting tired of steps everywhere.
Now- mount a blaster cannon on it and you have an AT-AT walker!
Oh DARPA how we love your cash flow.
i want one
the articulation of the joints is beautifully smooth. reminds me more of a bug than a dog tho. Unless you consider it’s about as coordinated as a newborn puppy on freshly waxed ceramic tile.
wow it was really good
tnx from ur blog because it was to much good
be happy
have a good time
Darush
REMINIDS ME OF THOSE LITTLE BUGS IN TRANSFORMERS REVENAGE OF THE FALLEN
I think adding a head would make it 75% less creepy.
No, please don’t add a head, it’s not suppose to be a artificial pet anyway, it’s to be a packmule for the army, and a robot for exploring other planets and various moons probably, but not a pet or a disneypark thing.
those antennae are cerci, roaches know. humans call all kinds of stuff-dogs, even lathe parts.
archie