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Amazing robot from DARPA - Creepy

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Astroboy

Illegitimate Clone
Check out this robot research project from your friends at DARPA:

http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-space/article/2008-03/darpas-amazing-robot-pack-mule-keeps-its-balance-ice

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

Equal parts amazing and creepy. The noise from the engine in untethered tests make it not practical for stealthy missions but this might be solved by this:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/01/eestor_skunk_wo.php
http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=batteries&id=20090&a=

I find it curious that Skunkworks is involved in this revolutionary type of battery system. There are some who claim that ultracapacitors are behind the power source of reverse-engineered saucers. Let the conspiracies theories begin! :D
 
That's amazing. I can honestly say if that thing came towards me, with no obvious human controller in sight, I would probably poop my pants. There must be a gazillion practical uses for it, both civilian and military. But I think we humans may have a hard time getting our heads around a machine that seems so alive.
 
Much Better than most of the monsters in 1950's scifi movies! The motor gives it a very insectoid feeling. Exactly what is its purpose? Yeah, I thought it was mean of the guy to kick the "entity" when it was on ice. If they give this thing artificial intelligence, that guy better watch out!

Change of subject: while waking up today I had a goofy idea. I remembered how Whitley Strieber had jumped on the DRONE wagon by claiming to see one from a specific angle one morning, even though they are all known hoaxes. (Poor Whitley - you gotta use discernment on which wagon to jump on, man!). Anyway, I thought it might be a great experiment on Whitley's gullibility and veracity if we all started a rumor that Grey Aliens were now always appearing wearing lip gloss and eye liner by Mabeline. There could be theories that this is part of their ongoing plan to become more accessible to us, and ease our fear. THEN WE SIT BACK AND WAIT for the inevitable C2C interview with George, where Whitley claims he was visited by Greys with lip gloss and eye liner. I am willing to put money on the table that this would happen. Who knows? Whitley might also start seeing nano versions of this robot, walking around on his kitchen cupboard snarfing up the muffin crumbs.
 
Fastwalker said:
I remembered how Whitley Strieber had jumped on the DRONE wagon by claiming to see one from a specific angle one morning, even though they are all known hoaxes. (Poor Whitley - you gotta use discernment on which wagon to jump on, man!). Anyway, I thought it might be a great experiment on Whitley's gullibility and veracity if we all started a rumor that Grey Aliens were now always appearing wearing lip gloss and eye liner by Mabeline. There could be theories that this is part of their ongoing plan to become more accessible to us, and ease our fear. THEN WE SIT BACK AND WAIT for the inevitable C2C interview with George, where Whitley claims he was visited by Greys with lip gloss and eye liner. I am willing to put money on the table that this would happen.
Click to expand...

Uh... Fastwalker? Got much pent-up prejudice against Whitley Streiber?

Yeah, he's such a loser... no, you're right. Tell you what--when you sell a dozen or so FICTION bestsellers... then maybe you can make fun of him.
Yeah, he's pathetic. All the way to the BANK.
 
Where have you people been?

This came out 2 years ago. It's called Big Dog. He hauls 300 lbs of shit wherever people want it to go. It's powered by a 4 cycle engine. I've actually seen one of these in person. They're nifty and all that.

I'd be more concerned about the unmanned robotic suit that's coming. It's an Exoskeleton that allows the wearer to effortless lift huge amounts of weight, and currently they're working towards making them Autonomous.
 
Tommy Allison said:
Where have you people been?

This came out 2 years ago. It's called Big Dog. He hauls 300 lbs of shit wherever people want it to go. It's powered by a 4 cycle engine. I've actually seen one of these in person. They're nifty and all that.

I'd be more concerned about the unmanned robotic suit that's coming. It's an Exoskeleton that allows the wearer to effortless lift huge amounts of weight, and currently they're working towards making them Autonomous.
Click to expand...

Like in Aliens?

Coool!!

Well, if you can kick 'em on the ice, and they get right back up, and they don't even have an visual cues--I mean, the thing looks utterly blind to me--just using gyros or something to get a sense of balance... I would be willing to ride around on one.

Of course, you're right, the military is going to be using them for "command and control" purposes... basically their first use will be to go where humans can't for danger purposes, land mine fields, combat zones... but their very next use will be as anti-suicide bombers (suicide bombers remotely controlled).

Put a camera on one of those jobbies, and now you've got a walking, real-time recon bomb with A/V capability.

Why even bother having soldiers at all? Just for HUMINT, that's it.
 
Tommy Allison said:
Where have you people been?

This came out 2 years ago. It's called Big Dog. He hauls 300 lbs of shit wherever people want it to go. It's powered by a 4 cycle engine. I've actually seen one of these in person. They're nifty and all that.

I'd be more concerned about the unmanned robotic suit that's coming. It's an Exoskeleton that allows the wearer to effortless lift huge amounts of weight, and currently they're working towards making them Autonomous.
Click to expand...

Ya I saw this a few years ago too. I think it was on future weapons when they did a show on unmanned weapons. I want to see one about 100x bigger crawling out of the ocean. That would be some cool shiat man.
 
Fastwalker said:
Anyway, I thought it might be a great experiment on Whitley's gullibility and veracity if we all started a rumor that Grey Aliens were now always appearing wearing lip gloss and eye liner by Mabeline.
Click to expand...

I've heard a woman report waking up on a table with two greys in the room. She claims one of them was wearing a platinum blond 'bitch-bangs' wig and a strap-on.
And bringing it back to military robots...
<div style='text-align:center'><object width='480' height='401' id='FiveminPlayer' classid='clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000'><param name='allowfullscreen' value='true'/><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.5min.com/Embeded/10344668/'/><embed src='http://www.5min.com/Embeded/10344668/' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='480' height='401' allowfullscreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always'></embed></object><br/><span style='font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px;'>More <a href='http://www.5min.com/Category/Arts/Dance' target='_blank'>Dance Videos</a> at 5min.com</span></div>
 
Brian Now said:
that is amazing!
Did anyone else feel sorry for it when it slipped or stumbled?
maybe it's just me.
Click to expand...

no..i did too...and when they guy kicked it off balance...hehe...we're suckers :p
that was pretty cool tho! it's be awesome to take to the beach to haul all the crap people take!
 
Feel sorry for this one?

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Holy shit that is amazing! I cannot imagine seeing something like that roaming around in the woods. I am totally amazed at how fast it was able to adjust to the terrain or in that one case being kicked! Seeing shit like this really makes you wonder sometimes what is really being seen both on land and in the air?

Great vid thanks!

~A
 
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