Robotic dog carries loads faithfully

Able to run at 4mph, climb slopes up to 35 degrees, walk across rubble and carry a 154kg load, BigDog is powered by a petrol engine that pumps fluid into a hydraulic actuation system. The legs are articulated and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. Size is 1m long and 0.7m tall, and the robot weighs 75 kg. Sensors include measurement of joint position and forces, ground contact, ground load, a laser gyroscope and a stereo vision system. Internal sensors monitor hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature and speed and battery charge. Boston Dynamics began as a spinoff from MIT. The project, funded by the US Defence Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), began in 2005 in a collaboration with Foster-Miller, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. In its current state of development, BigDog can not only climb over loose concrete blocks, but walk on ice and recover from being kicked on one side while doing so. For more information: Big Dog Web Site