BigDog's little companion, the spunky RHex

From the same folks who brought us BigDog, future pack hound for, and best friend to, soldiers worldwide, comes another bot named RHex that can scurry ahead of its lumbering big brother and relay front and rear video up back to their common masters up to 600 meters away. Not only can six-clawed RHex tear it up on all kinds of rough terrain like rock fields, sand, and railroad tracks, manufacturer Boston Dynamics states that its sealed body actually allows it to "swim on the surface or dive underwater"- a claim that might seem dubious had Uncle Sam not given the big thumbs up in independent testing. Although clearly aimed at military customers, BD casually suggests that you "drop us an email for information on getting your own RHex," making us wonder what clever uses our industrious readers could envision for the little critter...

[Thanks, distantbody]

[Mike @ Mar 7th 2006 6:06AM]

at least its a little cute...unlike BigDog...which looks like something straight out of silent hill!

[dreampc @ Mar 7th 2006 6:32AM]

But can it self-right? ...as in, what if it flips over? Would it's antennas possibly "high-center" it?

[Yrian @ Mar 7th 2006 6:34AM]

Now THIS is the iFish.

[Michael @ Mar 7th 2006 6:52AM]

"[C]lever uses our industrious readers could envision for the little critter..."

Can it get me a beer?

[Carl @ Mar 7th 2006 7:15AM]

Looking at how the legs work, it should be trivial for it to self-right in most situations... I'm sure they've thought of the bots needing to upright themselves at somepoint.

[ME @ Mar 7th 2006 7:20AM]

Awesome!

[PodMonkeys @ Mar 7th 2006 8:20AM]

Thats neat!. A bit messy on the whole land travel, but still neat. And the swimming underwater was great! :D

[Karl Viklund @ Mar 7th 2006 9:15AM]

Boston Dynamics helped Sony with QRIO.

"Sony Corporation turned to Boston Dynamics for help developing its line of entertainment robots. We adapted our physics-based human simulation to work for Sony�s humanoid robot, QRIO. The result is a physics-based robot simulator used to develop mechanical designs, control systems, and motion planning. Using the simulator, Sony�s engineers test ideas for robot design, control and behavior before building them into the physical robot."

http://www.bdi.com/content/sec.php?section=about

[Gordy @ Mar 7th 2006 9:31AM]

Hmm...this'll take home security to a whole new level. Had I the millions I deserve, I'd have a team of them partolling the grounds.

[Dean @ Mar 7th 2006 9:50AM]

While Boston Dynamics may be the ones commercializing them, RHex was developed over the past ten years at Carnegie Mellon University and a number of other universities. Boston Dynamics recently hired away the faculty at CMU who was the lead on the project.

More cool videos can be found at http://www.rhex.net/

[Michael C @ Mar 7th 2006 11:05AM]

Do a google search for Whegs and find a lot more like this

[dco @ Mar 7th 2006 12:50PM]

A Techie Talking Walking Fido that shares in the romoteness of the webbies world. Gots ta love the little fellare.

DCO

[Fred @ Mar 7th 2006 8:30PM]

I never thought anything could one-up He-man's Attack Trak... until now.