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MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

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Re: MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

#41
post #28

DARPA again. Great to see more money flowing into military research. Irony off.

Military research is extremely important. The use of military tech in civilian applications is the reason for a lot of stuff we use daily, as I'm sure you know.

There's no reason that technological progress from the US government couldn't be driven by NASA rather than DARPA. I suspect many peace-loving people would prefer to see that.

Re: MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

#43
post #31

No one seems to be discussing how this can be improved! Here are a few points: 1. Real cheetahs don't run like that. The action of both pairs of legs is staggered for smoother motion and control. Check this out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131wvVGjZUc 2. Looking at this jumping-over-obstacles video, it seems like the robot is lacking flexibility. The real life cheetah's hind legs go quite a bit underneath in pre…

It seems obvious that the engineers at Boston Dynamics have spent an awful lot of time carefully studying and analysing the movement of real 4-legged animals.

There's a big difference though between learning valuable lessons & taking cues from natural bio-mechanics, and trying to emulate them.

Re: MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

#44
post #31

No one seems to be discussing how this can be improved! Here are a few points: 1. Real cheetahs don't run like that. The action of both pairs of legs is staggered for smoother motion and control. Check this out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131wvVGjZUc 2. Looking at this jumping-over-obstacles video, it seems like the robot is lacking flexibility. The real life cheetah's hind legs go quite a bit underneath in pre…

Muscle, bone, and sinew are about a hojillion times better in building active structures than motors, pneumatics, etc. It'll be a while before robots are as flexible and dexterous as animals.

Re: MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

#46
post #31

No one seems to be discussing how this can be improved! Here are a few points: 1. Real cheetahs don't run like that. The action of both pairs of legs is staggered for smoother motion and control. Check this out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=131wvVGjZUc 2. Looking at this jumping-over-obstacles video, it seems like the robot is lacking flexibility. The real life cheetah's hind legs go quite a bit underneath in pre…

1.The goal is not to build a cheetah, buy to learn from them. One thing to consider is that this team is constrained by materials. What works for an animal will likel not transfer directly due to the difference in materials. Harmonics are well absorbed by tissue but the robot may have issues with them.

2. How did you come to this conclusion? Have you built a robot that mimics an animal? If so, may you provide some insight into your discoveries?

Robotics programmer/builder here. Always interested in learning about the work of others.

Re: MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

#48

So they can spend millions developing the robot, but the best they can do for tracking while they film from the side is a guy pushing another guy in a big plastic box on wheels. Way to go geeks!

Isn't it the perfect parable for SW dev/Engineering ?

Re: MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

#49
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes - but replacing soldiers is happening and will continue. Having only machines on the battle field will lower the entry level for war.

Wait what? Those expensive machines make war harder, not easier. Central African Republic has war with child soldiers using machetes and guns. It's an unpleasant truth: humans are disposable. This is evidenced by a bunch of stuff - rich westerners have their clothes made by poor people locked into unsafe Bangladeshi warehouses; have many of our goods made by low people in terrible and dangerous conditions; by our lac…

Those expensive machines makes not a single child soldier go away - why should it?

Re: MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump [video]

#50
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which leads to the appeal of a mechanized infantry that never gets tired, never gets sick, kills without remorse, follows orders invariantly, doesn't eat or drink, has an upgrade path but most importantly can't be killed only destroyed or broken. Sure the first generation won't replace all soldiers and they may never replace them all. We will need logistics and support people of course. Its not a perfect solution. Bu…

I do believe, that it is first not a question of money (being cheaper). You do not have images of flag covered coffins returning home. You have no insubordination. You have the possibility to do economic promotion without being labeled as doing such (regarding international treaties (at least here in the EU)). You do not need all these training facilities. Just to name a few. So they will even do it, if it is not che…

Flag covered coffins are a powerful image which help to galvanize the people and maintain public support for a campaign.

It's hard to imagine that people will care much if all they see is a pile of scrap metal being shipped home.

It'll be extremely difficult for a government to use robotic infantry whilst having public support for such an action.

Rather than appealing to a sense of "brotherhood/camaraderie against a common foe" in order to support a campaign - propogandists will likely have to exploit the peoples sense of fear to garner support. This is a shift we have already started to see with the "war on terror".

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