Boston Dynamics have just released footage of their new biped robot PETMAN. Which will balance itself and move freely; walking, crawling and doing a variety of other movments.
balances dynamically using a human-like walking motion; it is a close relative to BigDog, sharing elements of the mechanical desgin and control.
PETMAN was designed as an anthropomorphic robot for testing chemical protection clothing and suit-stressing calisthenics during exposure to chemical warfare agents for the US Army.
Natural, agile movement is essential for PETMAN to simulate how a soldier stresses protective clothing under realistic conditions. The robot will have the shape and size of a standard human, making it the first anthropomorphic robot that moves dynamically like a real person.
The development program has a 13 month design phase followed by a 17 month build, installation and validation phase, with delivery of the robot taking place in 2011
Via MAKE Via Tech Blog
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