Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics is a small engineering and robotics design company best known for the development of BigDog, a quadruped robot designed for the U.S. military with funding from DARPA [David Hambling, [http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/dn8802-robotic-pack-mule-displays-stunning-reflexes.html Robotic 'pack mule' displays stunning reflexes] , "New Scientist", 3 March 2006.] , and DI-Guy, COTS software for realistic human simulation. Early in the company's history, it worked with the American Systems Corporation under a contract from the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) to replace naval training videos for aircraft launch operations with interactive 3D computer simulations featuring DI-Guy characters. [Sharon Foster, [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-80023459.html "Updating Technology Without Upping the Price: Boston Dynamics completes first phase of catapult trainer upgrade"] , (subscription required), "National Defense", November 1, 2001.]

Marc Raibert is the company's president and project manager. He spun the company off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. [ [http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=about About Boston Dynamics] (2005), Retrieved on 4 July, 2007.]

Products

BigDog is a quadruped robot created in 2005 by Boston Dynamics, in conjunction with Foster-Miller, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station.cite web |url=http://www.bostondynamics.com/ |title=Boston Dynamics |accessdate=2007-06-30 |format= |work= ] BigDog is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the hopes that it will be able to serve as a robotic pack mule to accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for vehicles. Instead of wheels, BigDog uses four legs for movement, allowing it to move across surfaces that would defeat wheels. What has been called "the world's most ambitious legged robot" is designed to carry 120 pounds alongside a soldier at three miles per hour, traversing rough terrain at inclines up to 45 degrees. [Lerner, Preston. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/03/08/army.robot.dog/ "Robotic dog of war"] , "Popular Science" / CNN.com, March 8, 2006. Accessed July 4, 2007.] [Loades-Carter, Jonathan. [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/48e11a2e-ad27-11da-9643-0000779e2340.html "Worth Watching: Robotic pack mule"] , "Financial Times", march 6, 2006. Acecssed July 4, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.bostondynamics.com/ Official website]
* [http://bigdogrobotvideos.com/ A collection of videos of Boston Dynamics products]