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U.S. troops who post as much as 100 pounds of gear could soon get a robotic mule subject of shouldering their burdens in the tough terrain . Such a automaton recently showed how it can keep abreast a person and voyage around trees and rocks while climbing a hill in its first outside test — but it might someday comply spoken command like a vast , obedient wiener .
The four - legged , headless " LS3 " robot evolved as the quieter , quicker and tough variant of Boston Dynamics'“BigDog " robotfunded by the U.S. military ’s DARPA research arm . forthcoming tryout will test the robot ’s power to carry 400 pounds on a tough 20 - mile trek without any fueling for 24 hours .
The LS3 robot funded by DARPA is a faster, quieter version of Boston Dynamics' BigDog robot.
" If successful , this could provide genuine note value to a squad while turn to the military ’s business concern for disburden troop , " said Army Lt . Col . Joe Hitt , computer program managing director for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) . " LS3 seeks to have the responsiveness of a trained animate being and the carrying capacity of a mule . "
add together " sense of hearing " applied science could even allow human squad members to issue speak commands such as " stop , " " sit " or " come here . "
The LS3 robot also acts as a mobile charging station for troops to reload batteries for their radios , tablet or laptop computer while on patrol . That makes a huge difference whentoday ’s Marine platooncarries 30 to 50 radios on patrol in Afghanistan , compare with just two or three radios during the Vietnam War .
DARPA just release a picture showing the robot standing up from a sitting position and following a person walking up a hill during its first out-of-door test . If everything move well , a full 18 month of tests get going this summertime will terminate with the robot going out on field exercises with the Marines .
Such a walking golem would joinrobotic helicoptersalready flying test deputation to resupply Marines in Afghanistan . Those helicopters still want train human operators to control them remotely , but eventually they may become full autonomous aircraft capable of flying on their own .
