[youtube width=”600″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUQsRPJ1dYw[/youtube]
Although some robots may look terrifying at first sight, this particular robot has harmless rather innocent look. Yet this small quadruped creature is not intimidated by the obstacles that come in its way. Discover some of the impressive capabilities of this robot.
This robot that looks that like a little dog, is the work of the U.S. robotics firm Boston Dynamics. This robot has the unique ability to adapt to any type of terrain, known or unknown, thanks to a computer program that allows it to move independently. Its ability to learn and walk is the work of Computation Learning and Motor Control Labs of the University of Southern California (USC).
Although having a size of 20 cm to 30 cm long, the true strength of littledog lies in his legs that have three degrees of freedom. Each of its legs is equipped with sensors that allow it to react to the environment in which it is located and make the right decisions for guidance, balance and movement. All this data is manipulated using software program developed by Boston Dynamics .
Regarding their purpose, they will essentially be used for military or in connection with the internal or external security. The DARPA is funding this project, it would not be surprising to see littledog equipped with a camera, being used for surveillance. Only small problem is that the battery life is only 30 minutes.
This robot has a friendly appearance and its small size and ability to move almost anywhere could be a major asset in civil and military surveillance. We are quite impressed with the physical qualities of this small quadruped robot that reminds us strangely another robot Boston Dynamics : BigDog. In what other areas do you think littledog might be useful?