I’m not sure what’s more impressive about BigDog, the robotic pack animal in development by Boston Dynamics: the fact that it can climb snowy hills and cross icy parking lots, or the fact that in doing so it bores its way into my nightmares, forever to haunt them.
Take a look at this recently posted YouTube video of the uncanny creature in action and tell me it doesn’t have the same effect on you.
The legs move in a startlingly lifelike manner, but the head — well, it has no head. In the deep recesses of my mind, I imagine the creature in incredible pain, unseeing, unhearing, knowing only heavy loads and treacherous pathways. It plods on, or it panics upon losing its footing, but it knows neither joy nor satisfaction. Plus, it’s being developed for the Department of Defense, so it has war zones to look forward to.
This is only the latest video from the makers of BigDog. They’ve been demonstrating their creation’s capabilities since 2006, and they’ve also done work on less completely disturbing robots.
Presumably, when the BigDog gets put into mass production for the consumer market, they’ll slap some sort of friendly carapace on it, try to turn it into your helpful, bag-carrying robot buddy. If past efforts are any indication, though, they will fail. I still can’t sleep in any room with a Furby in it.
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