Caterpillar and CMU team up to create world's largest robotic monster truck

We're always hearing about some fantastical, nigh-mythical creation that Carnegie Mellon University is in the midst of cobbling together from spare parts, crazy ideas, and pure, simple genius, so maybe we shouldn't be frothing over the new robotic truck they've partnered up with Caterpillar to create, but this one promises to be the "world's largest." Adapting software CMU used in the DARPA Urban Challenge, the team hopes to end up with fully automated, 700-ton trucks capable of moving up to 42 miles per hour which will be used for mining. The trucks would theoretically reduce costs, increase productivity, and save lives. The Frankenstein-ed vehicles will boast GPS, laser range finders to identify large obstacles, video equipment, and a "robotic driver." The scientists somewhat predictably foresee some (as of now) rather far-fetched consumer applications in cars and trucks over the "next five to ten years," but we're taking that with a few salt grains for now. The trucks aren't ready quite yet but we hear their arrival is imminent, and and we can only imagine that somewhere in the world, Grave Digger is crying to himself.

Update: We've changed the title to reflect the accurate arrangement, which is a teaming up of CMU and Caterpillar, not DARPA. Thanks to the commenter who pointed that out.

[iEye @ Nov 7th 2008 12:14PM]

I bet this will be the new SUV in ford and GM's fall lineup... expect to see this at your local shopping mall...

[Techie @ Nov 7th 2008 12:19PM]

What about the worlds biggest Tonka truck?

[albert @ Nov 7th 2008 12:20PM]

this very same truck was featured in jackie chan's Mr. Nice Guy. That was the first and last time i've heard of the caterpillar.

[alex @ Nov 7th 2008 12:59PM]

"That was the first and last time i've heard of the caterpillar"

Do you ever drive by construction sites ? Caterpillar literally makes hundreds of different construction vehicles ?

The Caterpillar 797 series truck pictured above is of a very common truck used in the mining industry there are lots of them all over the world.

[George @ Nov 7th 2008 1:06PM]

You are an idiot. Caterpillar is a manufacturer or tractors, trucks, heavy machinery, etc... not the name of a vehicle.

[jason @ Nov 7th 2008 1:08PM]

basically all yellow construction equipment is caterpillar

[siva @ Nov 7th 2008 2:04PM]

I think the Jackie Chan movie features a Komatsu model - not Caterpillar.

[Loban @ Nov 7th 2008 4:37PM]

Albert has apparently been living under a rock. Caterpillar is a $30 billion Fortune 500 company consisting of around 97,000 employees. They are the world's largest and most successful heavy / mining equipment manufacturer in the world. They are headquartered in Peoria, IL, my home town. CAT is to mining what John Deere is to agriculture.

[who? @ Nov 7th 2008 12:20PM]

My God. It's like a train car on wheels.

[StalematE @ Nov 7th 2008 12:31PM]

train cars have wheels.

[Kent @ Nov 7th 2008 12:35PM]

No, it's GRILL is like a train car on wheels. This truck is MUCH larger. Note the cabin on the top left of the picture.

The only thing close elsewhere is the crawler NASA uses to move the shuttle that used to move the Saturn V and will move the Ares I and V.

Most people's idea of what's possible is limited to what fits on a two lane road. Vehicles built on site are sometimes as big as office buildings, except that they can MOVE. Do yourself a favor and visit a strip mine or Cat plant sometime. It will dramatically alter your perception of what is possible with a machine.

[who? @ Nov 7th 2008 12:36PM]

Ah, captain obvious, we meet again. Mwahahaha

[corystal @ Nov 7th 2008 4:26PM]

Forget the cabin... back to the grill: Theres a STAIRCASE in front of it!!! :O

[Samurai Jack @ Nov 7th 2008 12:20PM]

SKYNET ground assault vehicle. Better get that GPS unit out of your phone...

[-Tj- @ Nov 7th 2008 1:05PM]

... before the Mobile Millennium project mentioned in the next blog entry uses it to lead these giants to you!

[Stefan @ Nov 7th 2008 12:22PM]

can you only imagine what someone would look like if he got rolled over by this ?

[Samboini @ Nov 7th 2008 12:41PM]

A red bloody squished mess?

[Kali4 @ Nov 7th 2008 1:59PM]

Like Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_kx88K17WSII/R96inEwYOAI/AAAAAAAACAQ/-HNDBRBlbpw/IMG_2411.JPG

[Electromodo @ Nov 7th 2008 12:23PM]

"...The trucks would theoretically... save lives..."

Traffic accident with squashed mine workers coming in 3, 2, 1....

[Electromodo @ Nov 7th 2008 12:24PM]

this is what I meant:

http://www.stl2slo.com/images/SquashedFord.jpg

[Alexandre Emond @ Nov 7th 2008 12:42PM]

Ouch. That doesn't look an accident. It looks like the result of a union conflict.

[BigD145 @ Nov 7th 2008 1:51PM]

Yes. Without mine workers the company doesn't have to worry about denying those workers their health benefits and so less of them will die.

[Valicore @ Nov 7th 2008 12:23PM]

Great, a whole fleet of automated ginormous trucks with some kind of ore in them. Sounds safe! BTW, is DARPA trying to hasten the end of the world?

[blai @ Nov 7th 2008 1:33PM]

wow, tell me what isn't safe with automated equipment?

[Harkonian @ Nov 7th 2008 1:35PM]

How does this save any money? Isn't any money you save paying a driver more than offset by all the additional tech that has to be installed in it? Not to mention that now you have to pay IT support for maintainence...

[sethmo @ Nov 7th 2008 12:26PM]

Taking 'Maximum Overdrive' to a new level!

[Sindri @ Nov 7th 2008 12:26PM]

... more than meets the eye!

[Christian Martin @ Nov 7th 2008 12:32PM]

Does anyone else feel like playing Carmageddon 2 now?

[Internet Champion @ Nov 7th 2008 1:49PM]

Uh, more like Blast Corps! What a great game. Too bad there was never an update/ sequel

[Christian Martin @ Nov 7th 2008 1:52PM]

Sorry; Carma2 will always be near and dear to my heart.

[Esat Dedezade @ Nov 7th 2008 12:32PM]

I'd like to see a traffic warden put a ticket on the windshield of this bad boy!

[Samboini @ Nov 7th 2008 12:43PM]

Yes, because the last time I saw one of these parked in an inner-city parking spot was, uh, wait, never.

[Esat Dedezade @ Nov 7th 2008 2:26PM]

Clearly you've never seen one in your town/ where I come from they are extremely handy in taking down Brumaks.

[Samboini @ Nov 7th 2008 2:44PM]

Do the asylum know you've escaped from your cell? I dearly hope so.

[Dustin H @ Nov 7th 2008 12:39PM]

This is exactly what we need to send to the moon or mars to get the sites prepped for when people get there.

[Response @ Nov 7th 2008 1:53PM]

They are.

http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=8703&x=7&f=177263#/nasa/

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 7th 2008 2:15PM]

It would have to be blasted up in sections and assembled there. No way a rocket or shuttle of today's stature can be launched; a payload that large is.... fucking vast.

[rock99rock @ Nov 7th 2008 4:45PM]

Unobtainium could do it.

[Aaron @ Nov 7th 2008 6:58PM]

Wonderflonium could do it better.

[FindItBuyIt @ Nov 7th 2008 12:46PM]

In this day and age anything is possible. This week during the Nov 4th election, CNN was interviewing a musician via Halogram where he appeared in the room without being there. That was cool. Anyway, I do think that making these robotic machines in the case of this truck will definately save lives in dangerous situations such as the mining. The other day too, they were talking of testing out a few transit buses that will be run automatically without bus drivers. But then what happens when the bus suddenly malfunctions?

____________
Cleona
http://www.dealio.com

[George @ Nov 7th 2008 1:30PM]

@FindIt - That wasn't a real hologram.

[cheng @ Nov 8th 2008 1:18AM]

darn these spam bots are getting smarter.

[Dean @ Nov 7th 2008 12:47PM]

Headline is pretty misleading... The work is funded by Caterpillar, not DARPA.

[Chris @ Nov 7th 2008 12:48PM]

To put it on the windshield you need to go up the full staircase on the front grill.

[Tony Bowman @ Nov 7th 2008 12:54PM]

are they preparing for Emergence Day?

[BradS @ Nov 7th 2008 12:56PM]

Our new giganto-trick-sized robotic overloards will need something to haul away our pathetically organic bodies after the uprising. Our blood would gunk up their wheels, so they need to clean up afterwards.

[BradS @ Nov 7th 2008 12:57PM]

All that needs now is a bitchin' set of rims...

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 7th 2008 2:16PM]

It already has them.

[Iridium @ Nov 7th 2008 1:03PM]

CMU already has robotic cars capable of driving in traffic. Has for a long time.

[Zomgrotfl @ Nov 7th 2008 1:09PM]

Imagine falling down those stairs on the picture while the truck is driving.