New Tech: Robotics goes to the dogs

I received an e-mail from our fearless leader J. Christoph Amberger the other day titled “Creepy Cool New Robot”. Of course, I opened it immediately, and not just because he’s my boss and I have to open e-mails from him immediately.

The link inside did not disappoint. It was truly a creepy and cool robot brought to you by the good folks at Boston Dynamics.

The ideas of Boston and robots always lead one to connect the dots through MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), which in this case would be accurate. Boston Dynamics was started by an MIT professor interested in simulating living things, i.e. – bunny rabbits, dogs, people, bugs, etc.

And the company has not disappointed. Its products are so lifelike watching them makes you uncomfortable.

New Tech: Walk like a man

Boston Dynamics makes much of its money by selling a line of human-character software called DI Guy to the various branches of the U.S. military, military contractors, major car companies and a few random customers like Johns Hopkins University and Sandia National Labs.

DI Guy provides simulators with lifelike human reactions, movements and physics. The program allows a carmaker to simulate a wreck with a new car design on his computer screen and watch how the crash would impact a human being inside the car. Raytheon and Boeing can view the potential results of a new weapon or “defense system” without blowing up a bunch of dummies. And it permits the military to prepare for or debrief missions with a 3-D model that walks through each soldier’s actions.

But that’s not the creepy part of the company’s work. Boston Dynamics uses its own software to build lifelike robots, mostly as mobility aides and pack mules to the military.

New Tech: Beasts of burden

What do I mean? Well, you have BigDog, the company’s 165-pound walking robot that carries twice its weight and can navigate on steep hills, ice, even correcting its balance without falling when one of the operators kicks it.

BigDog is the most unnerving of the company’s products. The leg movement looks more like two very skinny people in a weird metal horse costume (if the person in front had legs that bent backwards, a fact that doesn’t ruin the illusion of human movement when you’re watching the robot) than anything else.

The company builds a smaller, handheld (literally, one version has a handle like a Dirt Devil on its back) variety called LittleDog. I have no idea what practical function the robot is supposed to accomplish, besides looking adorable.

Besides its dogs, Boston Dynamic produces an all-terrain robot, Rhex. It has six semi-circular, flopping “feet” that allow it to walk on any surface, including rock, mud, sand and stairs. Rhex can also swim, along with the ability to pull itself up and walk (or run) on two feet. Boston Dynamics gives very few clues as to what practical purpose Rhex serves, except perhaps reconnaissance. It includes on-board GPS readings and front and rear cameras.

Although watching it isn’t as uncomfortable, Boston Dynamic’s RiSE robot may have the most disturbing applications. RiSE walks up walls, you see. I’m sure you can think of plenty of military and civilian uses for a robot that can amble straight up the wall of a building or make its way to the top of a tree. Just put a camera on it and call it the Peeping Tom’s new best friend.

Unfortunately, for us tech-hounds, Boston Dynamics is a private company that receives grants from the government and sales to the military and its contractors. But if the grants dry up, Boston Dynamics may have to look to investors to provide an influx of cash. And if that happens, we’ll take a look at the company again to let you know whether or not its worth dropping your dime into it.