Algorithms Help Robot Dogs Trot More Like Real Animals
engadget.com | 09/29/2019The result is a mechanical canine that can walk, run and trot with more grace and speed than usual. Cameras and LiDAR are also present to help robots avoid collisions. This doesn’t require dramatic changes to the bots themselves, at least. The test units are Ghost Robotics designs augmented with sensors to test the new algorithms.
What’s the endgame here? Except for some disabled people who might conceivably be assisted, and I suppose the military and law enforcement, is there really a huge market for gracefuller and speedier autonomous metal dogs?
I mean, I have a low enough opinion of people who load their houses with all sorts of electronic snooping devices that can be hacked, but I can’t believe they’d go so far as to want agile ones with metal teeth. On duty 24 hours a day. . . . Watching . . . watching . . .
As with cats, robots can never replace the real thing anyway.
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As an aside:
CEO of Robotics Inc.: “Gentlemen, what we really, really need is a sketchier name for our company.”
Frankenemployee: “How about ‘Ghost Robotics’?”
CEO of Robotics Inc.: “You’re promoted!”
Using them in combat for guard duty in the field, hauling ammo over rough terrain and many other things that would unburden our servicemen from having to schlepp heavy loads would be a net benefit for the efficiency of our ground troops.