Science & Technology

BigDog robot rejected because it's too noisy

By T.K. Randall
December 31, 2015

Image: Boston Dynamics BigDog Robot
Credit: Swadim / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) One of the most recognizable robotic creations in the world today, BigDog, which was originally developed almost ten years ago to act as a pack mule for soldiers on the battlefield, has been rejected for military service on the basis that it is simply too noisy.

Recent trial runs by the US marines have shown that the futuristic beast of burden makes such a racket as it moves around that enemy forces are going to be able to hear it coming a mile away.

"As marines were using it, there was the challenge of seeing the potential possibility because of the limitations of the robot itself," said US marine corps spokesman Kyle Olson."They took it as it was: a loud robot that's going to give away their position."

One alternative to BigDog is its smaller cousin, Spot, which is a lot quieter because it is powered by a battery instead of a petrol engine. Unfortunately however it is nowhere near as capable as BigDog and is unable to carry enough equipment to make it worth using in any real-world scenario.

Sadly both robots are now in storage and their future, for the time being at least, remains uncertain.

A video demonstrating BigDog ( and its obvious noise issues ) can be viewed below.


Source: The Guardian

Tags: BigDog, Boston Dynamics