MILITARY ROBOTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

CHEETAH- Fastest Legged Robot

LS3 – Legged Squad Support Systems

LS3 is a dynamic robot designed to go anywhere Soldiers and   Marines go on foot.  Each LS3 will carry up to 400 lbs of gear and   enough fuel for missions covering 20 miles and lasting 24 hours.  LS3   will not need a driver, because it will automatically follow a leader   using computer vision or travel to designated locations using sensing   and GPS.  The development of LS3 will take 30 months, with first walk   out scheduled for 2012.  The development of LS3 is being funded by   DARPA and the US Marine Corps.

Boston Dynamics has assembled an extraordinary team to develop the   LS3, including engineers and scientists from Boston Dynamics, Bell   Helicopter, AAI Corporation, Carnegie Mellon, the Jet Propulsion   Laboratory, and Woodward HRT.

BigDog - The Most Advanced Rough-Terrain Robot on Earth    BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston

BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics robots. It is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy    loads. BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like    an animal’s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a    large dog or small mule; about 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall and weighs 240 lbs. 

BigDog’s on-board computer controls locomotion, servos the legs and handles a variety of sensors. BigDog’s control system    keeps it balanced, navigates, and regulates its energetics as conditions vary. Sensors for locomotion include joint position,    joint force, ground contact, ground load, a gyroscope, LIDAR and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal    state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine functions, battery charge and others. 

In separate tests BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, climbs a muddy hiking trail,    walks in snow and water, and carries a 340 lb load. BigDog set a world’s record for legged vehicles by traveling 12.8 miles    without stopping or refueling. 

The ultimate goal for BigDog is to develop a robot that can go anywhere people and animals can go. The program is funded by    the Tactical Technology Office at DARPA. 

To download a video of BigDog in action, click here. More BigDog videos are available at    http://www.YouTube.com/BostonDynamics. ;

For a paper that summarizes the BigDog program, click here, or for overview slides click here.

SandFlea – Leaps Small Buildings in a Single Bound

Sand Flea is an 11 pound robot that drives like an RC car on flat terrain, but can jump 30 ft into the air to overcome obstacles.  That is high enough to jump over a compound wall, onto the roof of a house, up a set of stairs or into a second story window.

The robot uses gyro stabilization to stay level during flight, to provide a clear view from the onboard camera, and to ensure a smooth landing.  Sand Flea can jump about 25 times on one charge.  Boston Dynamics is developing Sand Flea with funding from the US Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF).

Earlier versions of Sand Flea were developed by Sandia National Laboratory with funding from DARP) and JIEDDO.

Click here to view the SandFlea datasheet

RHex – Devours Rough Terrain

RHex is a six-legged robot with inherently high mobility.  Powerful, independently controlled legs produce specialized gaits that devour rough terrain with minimal operator input.  RHex climbs in rock fields, mud, sand, vegetation, railroad tracks, telephone poles and up slopes and stairways.

RHex has a sealed body, making it fully operational in wet weather, muddy and swampy conditions.  RHex’s remarkable terrain capabilities have been validated in government-run independent testing.  RHex is controlled remotely from an operator control unit at distances up to 700 meters.  Visible/IR cameras and illuminators provide front and rear views from the robot.   

Click here to view the RHex datasheet

RiSE: The Amazing Climbing Robo

RiSE is a robot that climbs vertical terrain such as walls, trees and    fences. RiSE uses feet with micro-claws to climb on textured    surfaces. RiSE changes posture to conform to the curvature of the    climbing surface and its tail helps RiSE balance on steep ascents. RiSE    is 0.25 m long, weighs 2 kg, and travels 0.3 m/s.  

Each of RiSE’s six legs is powered by a pair of electric motors. An onboard computer controls leg motion, manages    communications, and services a variety of sensors, including joint position sensors, leg strain sensors and foot contact    sensors. 

Boston Dynamics developed RiSE in conjunction with researchers at University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley,    Stanford, and Lewis and Clark University. RiSE was funded by DARPA. 

To download a video of RiSE in action, click here.

LittleDog – The Legged Locomotion Learning Robot

LittleDog is a quadruped robot designed for research on learning locomotion. Scientists at leading institutions use LittleDog    to probe the fundamental relationships among motor learning, dynamic control, perception of the environment, and rough-terrain    locomotion. LittleDog is used at MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, USC, Univ. Pennsylvania and IHMC as part of a DARPA-funded    program on advanced robotics.

LittleDog has four legs, each powered by three electric motors. The legs have a large range of motion. The robot is strong    enough for climbing and dynamic locomotion gaits. The onboard PC-level computer does sensing, actuator control and    communications. LittleDog’s sensors measure joint angles, motor currents, body orientation and foot/ground contact. Control    programs access the robot through the Boston Dynamics Robot API. Onboard lithium polymer batteries allow for 30 minutes of    continuous operation without recharging. Wireless communications and data logging support remote operation and data analysis.    LittleDog development is funded by the DARPA Information Processing Technology Office.

To download a video of LittleDog in action, click here

For more information, go to BOSTON DYNAMICS

SeeAlso.. 

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