Boston Dynamics’ BigDog Robot

Boston Dynamics’ BigDog robot learns how to throw concrete blocks

If there’s one company to single out as pushing forward with the development of robot technology, it has to be Boston Dynamics. Their robots have set land speed records, can jump 30 feet in the air, follow humans on command, and most recently got a lot more intelligent.

So what we have is a little army of robots that can navigate all types of terrain quickly and are getting more intelligent. If that wasn’t scary enough, Boston Dynamics has started experimenting with the ability of its BigDog robot to throw very heavy objects.

The video you see above is the latest iteration of the BigDog robot with a new arm capable of grabbing and throwing objects relatively large distances behind itself. Boston Dynamics is experimenting with using the strength in the robot’s legs and torso to handle lifting and throwing heavy objects while remaining stable.

In the case of this demo, BigDog lifts a concrete block (cinder block) and throws it without losing its balance. Typically, such blocks weigh in excess of 20kg, showing you just how much strength the robot has.

The company hasn’t talked much about the arm yet, but it could certainly come in handy for moving heavy objects out of the way when in the field if they form an obstacle. I’m guessing the next step would be to get BigDog intelligently figuring out if any given obstacle is actually worth trying to pick up or navigating around instead.

An alternative use for the arm could be to grab and carry extra load if its torso is already at maximum capacity. Such a capability would certainly require very stable body movement if traveling across rough terrain.