From IEEE* Spectrum (found through Slashdot.org):
My next pet would be a Wildcat except for two things: 1) they are not available to consumers and 2) it appears to run on a highly polluting engine. (See the clouds of exhaust when the engine is started.)
Another video of the Wildcat (which shows as an option when the above video finishes) shows how it could be used to assist those with disabilities. Well...they don't really show that; but, I can infer from the way it performs on hills that it could be really, really useful in the "assist" role.
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* IEEE = Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - to which Hunky Husband belongs. Years ago, I belonged to the forerunners, IRE (Institute of Radio Engineers) and AIEE (American Institute of Electrical Engineers).
That is awesome. I know they have been working on a walking equipment carrier for the rugged country in Afghanistan where regular vehicles could not go, but to make it run is pretty amazing. It looks like a 2 cycle leaf blower type motor. It means more torque at lower weight but is loud and smokey.
Posted by: Ingineer66 | October 07, 2013 at 03:23 PM
I think it's interesting,but it needs quite a lot of refinement to become a useful consumer item.
Posted by: Hattie | October 07, 2013 at 08:39 PM
Ingineer--I agree on the motor. Have you seen a weight spec anywhere?
Hattie--Agreed. Can you see the thing going up Mt Everest?
Posted by: Cop Car | October 08, 2013 at 07:23 AM
Always interesting & informative at this blog! Thanks....even though I personally do not want one of those things dragging me around. not yet, anyway.
Posted by: M.E. | October 08, 2013 at 08:32 AM
I have not really researched it. I think it was a DARPA project. M E it was intended to carry heavy supplies while the people walked but I suppose a person could ride one if unable to walk.
Posted by: Ingineer66 | October 09, 2013 at 12:01 AM
There are many places to find more info on the various anthropomorphized robotic devices being developed under DARPA. One of the sites is c/net's DARPA takes bigger BigDog out for walkies.
ME--Given that these are military "beasts", and that they aren't (at this point, at least) by any means "stealthy", my best-case scenario is that such robotics be used to retrieve wounded during a battle.
Ingineer--Please let me know if you run into any "specs". (Official specs aren't apt to work their way out to the public anytime soon, I'll wager.) Sheesh! It's been about 25 years since I've written specs on military systems - for the US Marines.
Posted by: Cop Car | October 09, 2013 at 10:39 AM
I have nothing to do with it just interested by stander. But I do have a son in the Marines so knowing how they operate he is possibly just getting the stuff you wrote specs on. :-)
Posted by: Ingineer66 | October 09, 2013 at 09:58 PM
Ingineer--Sorry. I did not mean to imply that I thought you to be an insider on the robots; but, know that you do a lot of mucking about on the internet. As to the specs that I wrote, I doubt that the equipment would still be useful - with advancing technology. At this late date, I don't even recall the ordering of specs; so, it may be misleading that I think that I recall that the top-level specs (such as I wrote) are "A Level" specs?
A mind is a terrible thing to waste - and - mine's been wasting away ever since about 1952!
Posted by: Cop Car | October 11, 2013 at 04:50 AM
I love it. Definitely a 2-stroke motor.
Posted by: bogie | October 11, 2013 at 06:17 PM
Bogie--BigDog would be quite an addition to your dwindling menagerie. However, I left out a third reason why the WildCat (or BigDog) will not be my next pet: even were they commercially available, they would be out of my price bracket.
Posted by: Cop Car | October 12, 2013 at 08:19 AM