Robotic Big Dog

Big dog Dynamicallly Stable Quadruped robot
was created in 2005 by BostonDyanamic,NASA and Harvard University

Wiki

BigDog is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the hopes that it will be able to serve as a roboticpack mule to accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for conventional vehicles. Instead of wheels or treads, BigDog uses four legs for movement, allowing it to move across surfaces that would defeat wheels. The legs contain a variety of sensors, including joint position and ground contact. BigDog also features a laser gyroscope and a stereo vision system.

BigDog's unique walking pattern is controlled through four legs, each equipped with four low-friction hydraulic cylinder actuators that power the joints. "The BigDog robot, labelled as a military robot mule, has subsequently proven its potential worth in its ability to reduce load and remove that burden from a soldier's back."

Built onto the actuators are sensors for joint position and force, and movement is ultimately controlled through an onboard computer which manages the sensors.

Approximately 50 sensors are located on BigDog. These measure the attitude and acceleration of the body, motion and force of joint actuators as well as engine speed, temperature and hydraulic pressure inside the robot's internal engine. Low-level control, such as position and force of the joints, and high-level control such as velocity and altitude during locomotion, are both controlled through the onboard computer.

BigDog was featured in episodes of Web Junk 20 and Hungry Beast, and in articles in New Scientist, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and The Wall Street Journal.

On March 18, 2008, Boston Dynamics released video footage of a new generation of BigDog known as AlphaDog^[2]. The footage shows BigDog's ability to walk on icy terrain and recover its balance when kicked from the side.^[3]

The refined equivalent has been designed by Boston Dynamics to exceed the BigDog in terms of capabilities and use to dismounted soldiers.

In February of 2012, DARPA, which has continued to support the programme, carried out the first outdoor exercise on the latest variation of the LS3 with it successfully demonstrating its full capabilities during a planned hike encompassing tough terrain.

Following the success, an 18-month plan has been unveiled, due to start the summer of 2012, which will see DARPA complete the overall development of the system and refine its key capabilities, ensuring its worth to dismounted warfighters before it is rolled out to squads operating in theatre. The BigDog must be able to demonstrate its ability to complete a 20 mi (32 km) trek within 24 hours without refuelling while carrying a load of 400 lb (180 kg), whereas a refinement of its vision sensors will also be conducted.