Toyota's amazing running robot

[RDMcG]

This is truly impressive technology..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv35ItWLBBk&eur...

[Dr_Gonzo]

I think the Honda robot Asimov was running a while ago.

[s3fella]

what is the point? Are there not enough people on this planet to do things..?

As if we are not all lazy enough just now!

BTW, I reckon it runs like a girl!!

[350GT]

If I ran like that when I was at school, I would have been lynched!

[OnTheOverrun]

It's about time they stopped messing around with toy robots and started making some interesting cars. They used to make some great cars and now we have the Auris and Avensis what heppened to the MR2's and GT4's and AE86's?

[AndrewW-G]

s3fella said:

what is the point? Are there not enough people on this planet to do things..?

think of all the places we cannot go i.e. nuclear fuel storage, undersea pipelines etc etc etc

[ridds]

AndrewW-G said:

s3fella said:

what is the point? Are there not enough people on this planet to do things..?

think of all the places we cannot go i.e. nuclear fuel storage, undersea pipelines etc etc etc

Indeed, but why would it need to run? "Oh crap I dropped the nuclear fuel, quick, peg-it!"

[Benni]

Battlefields of the future will see more of this,
as "mechanized" wars will be the option for governments
to prevent young men coming back in body bags.
Scary thought.
Benni

[EDLT]

So it almost falls over if you nudge it slightly.

I'll be impressed when its capable of fighting 200ft tall lizards.

[Balmoral Green]

It would have been better if it had pushed her back, without anyone having pre-programmed it to do so

[Blukoo]

Can robots st themselves, because that one runs like it just has...

[Neil_H]

Balmoral Green said:

It would have been better if it had pushed her back, without anyone having pre-programmed it to do so

I can't wait until they start selling these. "Robot! Beer. Shop. Run."

[s3fella]

AndrewW-G said:

s3fella said:

what is the point? Are there not enough people on this planet to do things..?

think of all the places we cannot go i.e. nuclear fuel storage, undersea pipelines etc etc etc

Isn't that what we have Council Estates for, to breed such "cannon fodder"?

Anyway, if you believe the Greenies, we wont have nuclear fuel soon, it will all be wind, and undersea pipelines will be tended by regular plumbers in areas adjacent to the Thames Estury!

[rhinochopig]

This is more impressive - it has a gun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snfc_wNWqSU&fea...

Edited by rhinochopig on Sunday 2nd August 21:46

[glazbagun]

ridds said:

AndrewW-G said:

s3fella said:

what is the point? Are there not enough people on this planet to do things..?

think of all the places we cannot go i.e. nuclear fuel storage, undersea pipelines etc etc etc

Indeed, but why would it need to run? "Oh crap I dropped the nuclear fuel, quick, peg-it!"

Running is faster than walking. So it takes less time to go places- a good enough reason by itself. It also involves lots of weight redistribution, which will become important for jumping/crossing rubbish terrain. I'd imagine theres a sweet spot between walking and flat-out sprinting which offers the best energy efficiency per mile.

[LD1Racing]

now this one is really impressive, check out 'big dog' at Boston Dynamics, particularly the part where it slips on the ice. Very creepy.

[youngsyr]

Benni said:

Battlefields of the future will see more of this,
as "mechanized" wars will be the option for governments
to prevent young men coming back in body bags.
Scary thought.
Benni

What happens when one side's robots destroy all those of the other side? I can't see the "defeated" government just waving the white flag, so humans will be sent in as a last ditch attempt. Especially if the losing side is being invaded; the Germans recruited OAPs and children to defend Berlin when their professional armies had been defeated at the end of WWII, just as we would have done if we'd been invaded after Dunkirk.

Edited by youngsyr on Sunday 2nd August 22:54

[Fer]

Balmoral Green said:

It would have been better if it had pushed her back, without anyone having pre-programmed it to do so

I was waiting for it kick her in the face!

[dxg]

This:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfdHY26E2jc
is exceptionally impressive.

Note the "emotion" of "frustration" when it misses the ball at the end of the first slow-mo clip...

[Neil_H]

LD1Racing said:

now this one is really impressive, check out 'big dog' at Boston Dynamics, particularly the part where it slips on the ice. Very creepy.

That is superb - I think once robots can start dealing with problems independently like that is when we'll start seeing them being genuinely useful.