Apparently, robot designers are worried that they're not creating automatons that are creepy enough, because a team of engineers at Virgina Tech have put something together that will give even the toughest of men chills. The robot in question is the three-legged STriDER (Self-excited Tripedal Dynamic Experimental Robot, not to be confused with CMU's
Strider) which balances itself on two legs and then flips its body 180-degrees, bringing its third leg forward with the motion. According to project leader
Dennis Hong, "STriDER's gait is closer to that of a human walking than most bipedal humanoid robots you see today," adding, "This is how we humans walk, we do not actively control our knees, we just let them swing." It does seem to be true, as the robot has an eerily life-like quality to its movements. Don't believe us? Take a look at the video after the break and see the tripod in action.
posted Sep 20th 2007 5:24PM
I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.
This ranks up there with 'All Your Base' and '(anything) 2: Electric Bugaloo' as the most unfunny and overused catchphrases on the internet. Please refrain.
In soviet russia, the internet overuses YOU.
I agree Michael. As for Kris S, please, its so played out. everytime there is a robot story there is always one nerd who thinks they are hilarious by starting their comment off with "I for one". ENOUGH!
Exactly, which is why I used it and I got the response I would expect from you guys!
Finally, someone says something about that overused phrase. I was going to before.
As a new reader I must say, Hah! I haven't heard that before, and it made me laugh.
Jesus, have you heathens never heard the phrase "kitsch" before? I'm *straight* and I still appreciate the basic concept. First, it was funny because it was funny. Then, it was stupid because it was cliche. Now, it's funny again because it's used ironically in reference to the time when it was cliched. I'm not sure if ironic use eventually becomes stupid/cliched as well, but if any phrase is a candidate for us to find out about, "I for one" makes the cut.
You, for one, suck.
that thing looks like a giant spider.
erm... dont spiders have 8 legs?
only when i havent pulled 5 off!
It actually looks more...like a strider. Like from Halflife 2. And they seemed to have tried REALLY hard to find an acronym that would spell that. Source of inspiratrion perhaps? (pun intended)
I know they are trying to do some more biologically correct walking, but "swinging" knees has been done by Cornell in a bipedal walker already. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~shc/robots.html
Thats 2 consecutive posts about things bearing a curious resemblance to things from half life...
hmmm, I think Engadget is trying to tell us Gorden Freeman was right all along.
virginia tech = combine? w/e. ill join the CP's.
Now just make it about 10x bigger and put a machine gun on top and then we can all move to City 17 to have a great life.
Quick, someone check the VT faculty directory... There wouldn't happen to be a Dr. Breen in residence, would there?
Aim your RPG at the body.
First "Dog" now the StriDER?
*grabs gravity gun*
BRING IT OOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!
Screw the Gravity Gun, I have my trusty Crowbar with me! LOL
Mas Que Droga?!?
Is everyone trying to build Real-Life Half-Life 2 critters? First the robot dog that looks more like those ground hugging creatures and now a baby strider?
Anyone planning to make a gravity gun?
I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.
You're only a few posts late....
I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.
yeah really, they must have had Half Life 2 in mind when naming this thing.
Now all we have to do is shrink em down to size, let em loose on tom cruise, and call it a day.
Okay, that is GOLD!
I think its less efficient than normal spider walking. I can't understand what the hell those scientists are thinking of. Just copy nature. Nature is very energy efficient.
STriDER uses the concept of passive dynamic locomotion inspired by nature. "Bio-inspiration" does not mean directly copying from nature, but rather study them to get apply the principels to robotic systems, which is the case of STriDER. Bio-inspired robots often do not look like there biological counterpart in appearance.
Hokie Pride, bitches
rawr to that. go hokies!
I'll be in that lab tomorrow. My fingers are crossed that it'll be out.
Not on comment on the popular strider?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_humanoid_and_synthetic_Combine_in_Half-Life_2#Strider
I would smash that thing so hard if it ever came within 15 feet of me.
Can you say HL2?
Where the fuck did I put my gravity gun?!
Why must robots emulate human movement?
Dr. Zin would be so proud! Now all you need is a high-tech air/space craft to fly it around.
Pfft.
Doesn't even LOOK like me. :p
I wondered if you'd chime in ...
I am sure you are much better at walking, too.
Striders were so cool when they used their WARP CANNON. That thing scared the shit outta me.
Lets see tom selleck get away from THIS one.
Lets see tom selleck get away from THIS one.
hm. come to find out when you post something twice, it shows up twice. just sayin...
Do people really think that's real?! The robot exists only as a computer simulation, even in the "real" section of the clip. Computer graphics are just blended onto background footage using match moving...
http://www.dotstrosity.net/humor/Shopped.png
Addendum: Did you even watch the video?
This robot does exist as I've seen it in person. They even developed a really cool way to make it all run off of one motor.