Adam Savage and Spot

[UM-Bot 11,074]

Adam Savage tests out Boston Dynamics' impressive Spot robot.

 

[Desertrat56 28,155]

It not He!  I think robots have been doing this kind of thing for quite a while, and that one, Spot, is really just a big RC strangely shaped robot.

[Kenemet 11,890]

That's an adorable build.  Spot still has a ways to go, but I notice that he's a lot quieter now than the earlier prototypes.

The leg positions bother me slightly...but I WANT one!

[Desertrat56 28,155]

9 hours ago, Kenemet said:

That's an adorable build.  Spot still has a ways to go, but I notice that he's a lot quieter now than the earlier prototypes.

The leg positions bother me slightly...but I WANT one!

I am bothered by the legs too.  But I noticed it is standard for those kinds of robots, so maybe our human design is not as strong as putting the knees on backwards.

[BorizBadinov 2,962]

On 2/19/2020 at 8:42 AM, Desertrat56 said:

I am bothered by the legs too.  But I noticed it is standard for those kinds of robots, so maybe our human design is not as strong as putting the knees on backwards.

The legs are a product of animal evolution. That's how things that run on four legs look. It relates to agility, speed, weight distribution, and balance. Each leg accounts for 1/4 the weight of the body as opposed to our 1/2. When running it creates a bounding motion which creates less shock and wear on the joints allowing greater endurance and speed. Humans are top heavy and our running motion is far less fluid. We are built to walk upright but four legged predators are built for running, jumping, and stability while doing it. Humanoid robots need a lot more balance than spot does, its center of gravity is only around 15 inches from the ground where a human is closer to 3 feet. Inertia is a big problem when your mass is that high from the ground. 

Spots legs look a little more spindly than a normal dogs because it gets its strength from electric motors and gears as opposed to muscle tissue so the hind legs are the same thickness as the front. Future versions will probably favor more esthetics as the technology progresses.

Spot may not be a cheetah yet but it will get there.

All new robot designs start as RC creatures. First you make the platform stable, then you make it autonomous. 

[Zeds Dead 16]

15b years ago what the hell do we have now