DARPA’s Robot Mules Carry 400 Lbs, Never Tire (Video)

By on February 20, 2012 in News 16

Stan Schroeder writes on Mashable:

The typical soldier can only carry about 100 lbs. worth of gear, but not indefinitely. DARPA’s (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) new robotic mule, however, can carry 400 lbs. of gear and never get tired — and it can do it with a surprising degree of agility.

Physical overburden of soldiers is one of the top five biggest challenges for the U.S. army, according to DARPA, and a semi-autonomous legged robot, officially named the Legged Squad Support System (LS3), might be one way of fixing that problem …

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  • Nunzio X

    Now if only they could come up with a creature capable of carrying the huge load of muleshit that pours from the mouths of American politicians.

  • Jarel
  • PlantsNeedLovingToo

    This isn’t darpa. It’s boston dynamics. They’ve been doing this for years. I’m pretty sure that they’ve got a hand in this.

  • Brett Private

    DARPA provides funding and goals, Boston Dynamics is turning that money into blueprints and prototypes.  Seriously though, once they get a quieter power plant this is gonna be so cool.

  • RobotHorse

    Why not just use an actual mule?

    • Legbertwow

      Yeah if this thing is being made for combat situations why is it louder than rush hour in 3 big cities?

    • Anarchy Pony

      Have you ever been around a mule? 

    • Calypso_1

      Mules are great.  Used to pull timber out of the hollers on my uncle’s farm when I was a kid. GeeHaw!  Here’s a great book on the history of military mules Shavetails and Bell Sharps.
      Ah, the bygone days of colonial wars, mountain-gun mule trains heading into the high Hindu Kush!
      Seems like only yesterday. 
       

    • Redacted

      I’ll stick to Bradleys.

  • Haystack

    Yes, but can it *love*? 

  • Fgfg

    Metal Gear solid 4 all over again.Hope they don’t mount guns on them.

  • http://twitter.com/anarcho anarcho

    Yes,  and as an added feature,  you can put the mask of your favorite president of choice on the front, to give it the personality you know you want

  • yo

    Great, more power to the Empire…

  • Pusikles

    darpa….more like derpa