We have seen Boston Dynamic’s Big Dog in the past, and here we are with something else that is almost similar, it is uncanny. Known as the Hydraulic Quadruped robot (HyQ) project, it was being demonstrated at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) as you can view in the video above. Some of the latest developments surrounding the HyQ project include the implementation of an on-board inertial measurement unit (IMU) and active compliance for balancing and reactive stepping over obstacles. So far, tests have shown that the team behind the HyQ is capable of achieving a top speed of 7.2km/h, which is done via a fast ‘walking trot’. Measuring just a meter long, it tips the scales at 70kg, and I wonder whether it will also see action on the battlefield when it is finally ready to be introduced to the real world. Do you think it will see military service after being tested to the hilt, or will it be more of an utilitarian mode of luggage transportation across harsh terrain? At least this thing does not poop!
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