The field of robotics is steadily advancing, one metallic step at a time.
Unconvinced? Just take a look at a new demonstration video from Massachusetts robotics company Boston Dynamics, featuring PETMAN, their anthropomorphic robot that walks in place, maintains its balance when pushed, crouches and does pushups with the fluidity of some humans. And all without a head. (H/T: Danger Room)
The robot is the latest eye-catching machine from Boston Dynamics, a robotics company spun off in 1992 and led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Marc Raibert. To date, the company is perhaps best known around the Web for videos of its Big Dog robotic pack animal in action. The new humanoid robot uses much of the same motion technology as the Big Dog.
PETMAN, though, is arguably an even more striking advancement, given how closely it mimics the dynamic range of human motions, even struggling to maintain its balance when buffeted in mid-stride.
As Boston Dynamics explains, the robot was designed to test “chemical protection clothing used by the US Army,” under a “variety of suit-stressing calisthenics during exposure to chemical warfare agents.”
In essence, PETMAN was designed to be destroyed, or at least get severely damaged: The robot will be dressed in new NBC suit materials and sprayed with chemical weapons in a chamber as Army scientists look on and record the effectiveness of the materials.
Not only that, Boston Dynamics reports that robot will even “simulate human physiology,” including sweat, to allow Army researchers to better understand how the new materials will actually perform.
Possessing such minute details, it seems that PETMAN has already crossed into the uncanny valley separating robots and humans.
The entire robot was developed and built in just two years time, with support from Midwest Research Institute (MRI), Measurement Technologies Northwest, Oak Ridge National Lab as well as Smith Carter CUH2A (SCC) and HHI Corporation, according to Boston Dynamics.
We’ve reached out to Boston Dynamics for more information on the cost of the robot and other details and we’ll update when we receive a response.
