I love Boston Dynamics

[CoryBee]

[Gray_Area]

Robotics has been very advanced for a while. The issue is still human/neural link-up.

[HaRuMaN]

I <3 Massive Dynamic

[CoryBee]

I <3 Massive Dynamic

Hehe and 

Loved that show

[Xiaou2]

Although this is natural technical progression... to me, its a bit more scary, than cool.

 IE, Remote bots of war / exTerminators ?

[BadMouth]

IE, Remote bots of war / exTerminators ?

......connected to their power source and processors by long cables... 

(I too find it disturbing, mainly because the movement is so close to human)

[ahofle]

I have never really understood the time and energy put into making a robot walk like a human.  I guess just to say you did it?
There are so many far superior and practical designs than bipedal movement.

[CoryBee]

I have never really understood the time and energy put into making a robot walk like a human.  I guess just to say you did it?
There are so many far superior and practical designs than bipedal movement.

Like?

Humanoid movement is very fluid, fast and can move quickly over many types of terrain as well as climbing\jumping over obstacles.

[yotsuya]

I liked this better when Herbie Hancock did it:

[ahofle]

I have never really understood the time and energy put into making a robot walk like a human.  I guess just to say you did it?
There are so many far superior and practical designs than bipedal movement.

Like?

Humanoid movement is very fluid, fast and can move quickly over many types of terrain as well as climbing\jumping over obstacles.

Adding another pair or two of legs at the least for better balance to survive a stiff breeze.  Even wheels or treads seem like better ideas.  It probably takes an insane amount of unnecessary calculations and balancing to keep a two legged robot from merely falling over on a perfectly flat treadmill, yet alone rugged terrain.

I didn't mean to poop on the thread by the way -- it's still very impressive.  I just never understood the reason it's been worked on for so long.

[Howard_Casto]

I'm pretty sure the answer to that question, like the answer to many of life's questions, is "sex robot".   

[Le Chuck]

I have never really understood the time and energy put into making a robot walk like a human.  I guess just to say you did it?
There are so many far superior and practical designs than bipedal movement.

Like?

Humanoid movement is very fluid, fast and can move quickly over many types of terrain as well as climbing\jumping over obstacles.

Adding another pair or two of legs at the least for better balance to survive a stiff breeze.  Even wheels or treads seem like better ideas.  It probably takes an insane amount of unnecessary calculations and balancing to keep a two legged robot from merely falling over on a perfectly flat treadmill, yet alone rugged terrain.

I didn't mean to poop on the thread by the way -- it's still very impressive.  I just never understood the reason it's been worked on for so long.

Body suit for quadriplegics, use a voice, blow, or finger sensor to control movements based on the person's capabilities. 

[Howard_Casto]

It wouldn't make sense for that either.  Even disabled people have a sense of balance and if they are controlling the suit/whatever the 90% of the computing power and ect dedicated towards keeping the thing from falling over isn't needed. 

Also we are at least 50 years away from an exo-suit that would be as reliable and useful as a good old wheelchair.  I know wheelchairs aren't exactly as glamorous, but when you are in a situation where if you fall down you can't get yourself back up, stability is far more important than style.   

[404]

needs more polyester and paint can

[Xiaou2]

 Human function is actually very effective.   Look at the kinds of motions we are capable of...   such as in Wushu, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Pole Vaulting, Parkour, can hop on and use other transport means (like a bike, motorcycle, skateboard, skis, boat, car..etc)  , climb mountains, walk on a thin tight-rope or similar thin width path,  etc...

 Treds can get off track.  Bound Up.  Shreded.  Total system is heavy.  Takes up a lot of space.  Uses more energy.  Cant navigate all forms of terrain and high grade slopes (or vertical faces).    Not usually very swift.  Lots of friction.

 Wheels of course, work great on smooth surfaces, but even they fail to do what the human body can accomplish.

 A 4 legged animal can have incredible speed, but that can put limits on carrying capacity, as well as weapon height.   Its also not as efficient as two powered legs over four.

 The thing about walking that makes it so efficient, as that it only requires partial energy.  Part of the job is left to gravity.  A constant state of falling, with minimal balancing efforts.

 These kind of bots can be far more agile, and harder to destroy than something like a more static rolling tank bot.
They can also work as a team, to perform coordinated feats that one does not even want to contemplate.  Think cheerleader / acrobat style pyramid adders, and throwing formations.

 Radio controlled drones are already killing people in the middle east...
 A robot army, is a very scary, and very real possibility.

[Gray_Area]

Radio controlled drones are already killing people in the middle east...
 A robot army, is a very scary, and very real possibility.

Not if, like in Kiln People, wars are fought in designated areas by them against them. Of course, why bother when the virtual is much more interesting, enticing, and far cheaper. We aren't *that* far yet from those who were born pre-computer times, alas.

[Le Chuck]

It wouldn't make sense for that either.  Even disabled people have a sense of balance and if they are controlling the suit/whatever the 90% of the computing power and ect dedicated towards keeping the thing from falling over isn't needed. 

For a quad?  Some can't even lift their heads, I doubt their innate sense of balance does much for them if they have no motor control from the neck down.  I agree about the far out timeline on an assisted movement suit.  Either way I'm glad this type of research is going on and find it fascinating.

[MD Draco]

This is one of the many things to have come out of robotics for people thus far:



Can't be that far behind for legs, and only so long until we can map how the human brain balances / compensates / produces balanced movement and replicate it; we're learning new things every day, and at a tremendous rate! At the moment; I wouldn't say this is so much about making a fully capable robot, more for the experiment of it, and a deeper understanding about how to do it to create other things; there are already prototypes for people friendly exo-skeletons (e.g. ) and it's only so long until the end product can remove the human altogether! (think a bomb disposal robot that you can "link into" through a nerual link, and it'll take all the risk for you, as the perfect example of when the best product for the job is a person shaped robot) Doesn't necessarily have to be "people" shaped, but it works well enough for us, so why not adapt it for robotic purposes ... How long until we have a real Robocop? Guesses? I'd wager it's on the cards for the future.

[Gray_Area]

This is one of the many things to have come out of robotics for people thus far:

That is freaking sad. They have light-weight material that detects and maps the motion of the surface it's stretched over. That's one element. Anyways, like I said, neural interface is the first issue. Then there's power source. Ultimately, tissue and limb regeneration/fabrication is the ticket.

[Le Chuck]

This is one of the many things to have come out of robotics for people thus far:

That is freaking sad. They have light-weight material that detects and maps the motion of the surface it's stretched over. That's one element. Anyways, like I said, neural interface is the first issue. Then there's power source. Ultimately, tissue and limb regeneration/fabrication is the ticket.

You meant rad not sad right?  That is a wonderful piece of kit. 

[Gray_Area]

You meant rad not sad right?  That is a wonderful piece of kit. 

Man, it might seem so to you, but I was downright deflated. They had the tech for that forty years ago.

[Le Chuck]

You meant rad not sad right?  That is a wonderful piece of kit. 

Man, it might seem so to you, but I was downright deflated. They had the tech for that forty years ago.

Not exactly...they also had the wheel 3000 years ago.  Let's just say that significant improvements have been made to the existing design, nonetheless it is still round and it still rolls.  I for one am all for the proliferation of this "old tech" for our amputee brethren.  Have you seen the smart ankles that allow natural stride now?  Very impressive. 

[Gray_Area]

Not exactly...they also had the wheel 3000 years ago.  Let's just say that significant improvements have been made to the existing design, nonetheless it is still round and it still rolls.

Yeah, but if Tesla and such others hadn't been stifled, humans might not be riding on them.....

I for one am all for the proliferation of this "old tech" for our amputee brethren.  Have you seen the smart ankles that allow natural stride now?  Very impressive. 

No, I don't keep up with technology much anymore. And I'm more interested in biotech development. Prevention and social efficiency, versus damage control.