Oct 26 2009If You Can Watch This And Not Be Freaked Out There Is Something Wrong With You
Boston Dynamics (my arch nemesis) is at it again, this time with PETMAN, a bipedal walking robot, who, despite its name, actually hates all living creatures.
Biped robot the balances dynamically using a human-like walking motion. It is a close relative to BigDog, sharing elements of the mechanical design and control.
PETMAN is an anthropomorphic robot for testing chemical protection clothing used by the US Army. Unlike previous suit testers, which had to be supported mechanically and had a limited repertoire of motion, PETMAN will balance itself and move freely; walking, crawling and doing a variety of suit-stressing calisthenics during exposure to chemical warfare agents. PETMAN will also simulate human physiology within the protective suit by controlling temperature, humidity and sweating when necessary, all to provide realistic test conditions.
Just watch and tell me that's not scary. Especially how it catches itself after being pushed at 0:25. I swear, you mount a couple machine guns on this thing, and presto, you've got yourself a real-life Terminator. Listen, Army -- you really want something to test your chemical protection suits on? I've got a whole neighborhood full of people I don't like. You think about it, I'll start marking doors.
Thanks to Tobyraider, who knows the only good walking robot is one who can't walk and isn't a robot.
Reader Comments
1. Jon - October 26, 2009 6:06 PM
first
2. wat - October 26, 2009 6:06 PM
oh lawdy
3. ASIAN SENSATION - October 26, 2009 6:07 PM
FIRST I HOPE
4. Johannes - October 26, 2009 6:13 PM
We cant stop those robotmakers, we have to move on to stage two: Get rid of all the worlds extension cord! So the robots wont get further then my vaccum cleaner!
5. Jim - October 26, 2009 6:15 PM
PETMAN = What we will be to them.
6. hypocrite - October 26, 2009 6:19 PM
we should just kill ourselves now
7. ObamaPacman - October 26, 2009 6:20 PM
Terminator... coming soon.
8. Gazawraith - October 26, 2009 6:22 PM
now make it do terrain >:( ... then PUSH it down that hill
9. PaulSmeenis - October 26, 2009 6:36 PM
If only I could get my paws on one of these bad boys. I'd ride it to work and all my colleages would be like "Paul... You're so cool."
10. f - October 26, 2009 6:40 PM
in this context... WEEEEEEEEE AAAAAREEEEE AAAAAAAAALLL GOOOOOOOOOIIIIINNNG TOOOO DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.. nah
still a robot walking that well is scaringly impressive
11. GingerJohn - October 26, 2009 6:41 PM
my underwear is brown.
12. RGB9 - October 26, 2009 6:44 PM
These BOTS are made for walking, and thats just what they'll do.
One of these these BOTS are going to walk all over you.
(Sounds like a halloween song)
13. jaime - October 26, 2009 7:00 PM
2 things:
1. PETMAN: they will keep some humans as pets, and slaughter the rest.
2. it looks a lot like robocop's ED-209 killing machine.
14. banana recycling - October 26, 2009 7:07 PM
and what makes that all the more disturbing is the fact it's wearing my old climbing shoes..........
15. Geekologie Sux - October 26, 2009 7:35 PM
Check out that push again at 0:25...if you even want to call it that.
His "push" has the power of a wimpy high five, but the robot stumbles like it just got sucker-punched.
GW is a lying douche.
16. bob - October 26, 2009 7:51 PM
I totally thought it was going to flip out and kick the shit out of that dude after being pushed.
17. Joe Taylor - October 26, 2009 7:58 PM
Wow, lol.. that is VERY cool and VERY creepy at the same time. I bet in less than a decade we'll see consumer applications for this stuff; and they'll become better at it - and the world will become creepier.
-joe
18. bob - October 26, 2009 7:59 PM
@15 - YOU'RE STEPPING ON MY TOES YOU DOUCHE!
19. Spikey DaPikey - October 26, 2009 8:11 PM
BURN IT WITH FIRE !!
20. jaja - October 26, 2009 8:13 PM
OMG GW ! THIS THING WALKS AT 3.4MPH !
IF MY CALCULATIONS ARE CORRECT ! HE'LL BE AT YOUR FRONT DOOR IN 15 SECONDS ! RUN GW ! RUNNNNNN !
21. ~☻,_∫∫ ∕∕-][ Ỵ ([¦¦ ([]) ][-¦¦ ☻~ - October 26, 2009 8:14 PM
Nice its totally using air-muscles like in Irobot also reminds me of the walkers in starwars
22. Jimmybug - October 26, 2009 8:22 PM
For whatever reason, I really want to see this thing ride a Segway...
23. *gag* - October 26, 2009 8:25 PM
I'm going to have nightmares for a month now. I just got over the BigDog video...
24. F2 - October 26, 2009 8:26 PM
I'll get worried when they show the clip of it hearing the opening of Dueling Banjos and it demonstrates spontaneous intelligence by breaking into a trot.
25. Kraven Ergeist - October 26, 2009 8:28 PM
Tell me I'm not the only one who thought of an AT-ST from Star Wars? Those things scared the crap out of me when I first saw that movie as a little kid.
26. FU( K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - October 26, 2009 8:43 PM
@25: You're not.
My name is my opinion.
27. Dishy Dishyington - October 26, 2009 9:01 PM
Strap a fleshlight on that thing, and I'll take it out to dinner and a movie.
28. naas - October 26, 2009 9:14 PM
GIVE IT A FLAMETHROWING ELECTRIC GUITAR AND A MAP TO MY HOUSE, IT"S DRUNK MONDAYS & SOMEONE MUST BE BEATEN DOWN AHHHHHHhhhH!!!!1!!!1!1one1onw11
29. Haha - October 26, 2009 9:44 PM
omg i am totally tripping out
WHY IS IT IN SLOW MOTION??? AUGH!
30. naas - October 26, 2009 10:44 PM
one hour later
31. naas - October 26, 2009 10:46 PM
@31 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kKpJRdXfZuA/SuOyrRJP6mI/AAAAAAAAHCo/j_MccmJ6KdI/s1600-h/image_hoops_Brender.jpg
32. Dating for Geeks - October 26, 2009 11:21 PM
Don't worry, it's only HALF a Terminator! It can't hurt us... right?
33. kaka - October 26, 2009 11:34 PM
I THINK IS CUTE
VERY CUTE
34. khalse - October 27, 2009 12:29 AM
this + a certain sitcom theme song = GOLD
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yjpuk5w
35. PunsKillPeople - October 27, 2009 2:09 AM
Oh god, it's adorable! I want to take it home and knit it a little hat. And then give it a flamethrower and program it to destroy my enemies. Awww!
36. p_q - October 27, 2009 5:51 AM
gekko prototype
37. creater - October 27, 2009 6:21 AM
this is the real beginning of I-robot... WE MUST STOP THEM!!!!!!!!!
38. creater - October 27, 2009 6:51 AM
@15
And Geekologie doesn't suck! It rocks!!! More than you!!
39. DamnDirtyApe - October 27, 2009 6:52 AM
Isn't Boston Dynamics the original name of Skynet??
40. creater - October 27, 2009 7:01 AM
@34
I get why your name is caca
41. manu@advertising agency toronto - October 27, 2009 9:43 AM
What a great idea.Its fantastic and wonderful to watch it.
42. Kind of a Big Deal - October 27, 2009 10:11 AM
Didn't Herbie Hancock have this in his "Rockit" video 25 years ago?
43. JADE - October 27, 2009 10:22 AM
No sir I don't like that thing at all.....creepy......we are creating out own enemy!
44. nayr - October 27, 2009 10:59 AM
I think the scariest thing is that he's wearing rock climbing shoes. What's he gonna do? Scale Mt Rushmore, and then blow it up?
45. Dream - October 27, 2009 11:01 AM
It has red shoes!
Red Shoes = Evil
But, pretty cool balancing mechanics though. Could use some adjustments.
46. _me - October 27, 2009 11:27 AM
I only see something like this good for the Movie industry. Don't fear these GW, fear the ones that can scale walls like spiders, and drive cars at 60 MPH. Nothing's worse than one of those bastards dropping on you from the ceiling or running you down with your own Prius or Smart car.
47. Crapsworth - October 27, 2009 1:01 PM
It walks like it's had a pitcher of beer and some shots...
48. Jonathan - October 27, 2009 2:20 PM
Is that a boy or girl robot? Because that ass is talking to me! MMMM!
http://www.theawesometrain.blogspot.com/
49. wazmeister05 - October 27, 2009 2:26 PM
it looks like a mini ST-AT
50. gold chunk - October 27, 2009 2:58 PM
We're all gonna die.
51. Mycropht - October 27, 2009 4:44 PM
To qoute TheDeadlyKind from YouTube: "And they will remember us pushing them in their early days. They will remember and will never forgive."
52. paul - October 27, 2009 4:51 PM
@ 25 & 26
Those mothereffing things made it impossible for me to be alone in the woods as a child.
Someone needs to smash the top part of that goddamn thing with two logs suspended by ropes.
53. Marc - October 28, 2009 1:46 AM
What's the big deal? I don't understand why everyone's freaking out. So the robot has moving parts that mimic moving legs and can maintain its balance. This isn't new technology. It's just repackaged.
54. Songbirdsong - October 29, 2009 12:37 AM
BigDog still takes the creepy cake. THE THING CAN WALK ON ICE, PEOPLE.
55. Discoman - October 29, 2009 11:35 PM
oh so negative about the robot revolution-THAT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.
that walking may finally give people who have lost legs replacements that actually function closer to a normal leg-finally, even closer to great prosthesis.
btw, if you want robots (sorta) that can kill people, check out srl.org
actually, they are remote controlled, so don't piss off the driver or you are screwed
56. magnus - November 1, 2009 9:11 PM
There must be something wrong with me because I think that's excitingly awesome
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