Giant spiderbot: not your average John Deere offering

So we readily admit to having been lulled into complacency by the selection of John Deere farm and lawn equipment heretofore witnessed, but never again will we write this company off — not after seeing the giant spiderbot walking forest machine. The Finnish subsidiary of the mighty JD, Plustech, adapts automagically to the forest floor terrain by making what we can only imagine as deft usage of its six articulated legs. Forward, sideways, diagonal — whatever it takes, this machine can handle (we hear it can do a mean Boot Scootin' Boogie). Its motions are all computer-controlled, and — here's the best part — the user interface to the operator is a simple ol' joystick. Alright, now — who do we have to talk to about developing a simulation for the PSP?

[Via Defensetech]

[Linus Persson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I would rather call it an antbot because it's got 3 pair of legs, not 4. But it still is a really nice piece of equipment.

[Kasamaan Drakon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Technically, it's an insect :D

[Indigo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Quote:its six massive legs spreads the weight of the machine evenly, the company claims, to minimize any impact on the forest soil.


It cuts down trees like crazy, but chill. the dirt will be fine

[El Payo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Why does that remind of the construction equipment in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice?

[Miss Pistola @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Doesn't it technically have 7 limbs, if you include the articulated tree-slicing arm? So its a spider missing a leg.

[Linus Persson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Or it's an ant missing some "antennas".

[RX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Does it also spit web from it's butt for wrapping up those logs?

[Gazza @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I can just see a pair of gatling guns and a flame thrower mounted WITH the chainsaw thing at the end.

SWEET.

[nick @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

oh god, that's terrifying!

[Victor Perez @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Rise machine, Rise!

[Victor Perez @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Hey it does look like SHELOB, the big spider from Lord of the Rings. We should call this one SHEBOT!

[Zelnox @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Hahaha, it's a bit like the Chaos Space Marine Defiler in Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War.

http://www.monkeygames.org/images/WH1.gif

[phoenixonline @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Apparently there da bomb when it comes to clearing and making new ski fields and runs down the sides of mountainous during the summer months.

Know a guy that imports them, as well as ski-run groomers and snow machines from Germany/Austria, and yes they look even more impressive in the flesh!

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I gettin a real Ghost in the Shell S.A.C "Tachikoma" vibe from this thing.

KANEDAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Sorry, when the Anime juices start flowing

it all goes back to Akira...

[a t o m o @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

This thing is like 10 years old. I wonder what the next NEW thing will be on Engadget???

[Dean Shan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I want one sans chainsaw.

[JChan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Didn't Professor Frink have one of these that he took out on a Civil War recreationist battleground?

[Three Crows @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

The big question is, will its evolution go towards Imperial walker, or terminator/

[Jeremy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Is it just me, or does this thing look like a six-legged version of an AT-ST from Star Wars? :-)

[morgan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Here's videos of the thing in action...cool, but knda creepy....
http://www.plustech.fi/WalkingVideo.html

[Abe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Nothing walks like a Deere?

[gt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

yea, i saw this on modern marvels years ago

[Al @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Whoa! I'm at ConExpo in Vegas right now, and there was NOTHING like that in the John Deere section.

There was, however, a networked racing game in the Komatsu area where, instead of racing cars, you raced dump trucks...

[joelfinkle @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

A nearly-30-year prediction comes true:
Dean Ing featured a device very much like this in "Malf" a short story in the Analog annual in 1976, and appears in his collections "High Tension," "Firefight 2000" and the updated "Firefight Y2K."

It appeared on the cover of "High Tension" although I haven't been able to find an image on the net.

[birdman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I don't know abot you, but just looking at that thing creeps the hell out of me.

[Usman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Can you guys ban that Carmi person (writteninc.blogspot)? It's annoying to see advertising in the comments.

[Joey Geraci @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I think they should ban you Usman. People with no life who have nothing better to do but whine like a small child. What's wrong with her putting a link to her blog in her perfectly valid comments, get a life.

[Jonathan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

"Gotta get a word in here too. I am so awesome."
Yeah, uh-hu, ok, that was a perfectly valid comment to the topic Joey, or should I say ... CARMI!!! dun, dun, dun *drama*

Anyways...
I have to agree with #8, Gazza, I don't just want to see that thing cut down trees, I want to see it blow them to hell. For scientific reasons, of course.