Google's Atlas robot takes a forest hike

garsands · 18 Aug 2015 at 21:38

This really does give me the creeps, I just imagine being in the woods with this thing fully armed hunting me down.
In a few years & they can run nonstop without needing to rest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33978559

adolf hamster · 18 Aug 2015 at 21:41

Pretty good, the ability to store power always hampers these things though, its almost as if robot designers have never heard of internal combustion.

mushtafa · 18 Aug 2015 at 21:45

That is pretty impressive! Makes you wonder what we'll be able to make in 20 years time.

ChroniC · 18 Aug 2015 at 21:46

I can think of two major reasons for not using an engine. 1 it shakes a lot, and 2 it runs out of petrol.

OracIe · 18 Aug 2015 at 21:52

garsands said:
This really does give me the creeps

This pretty much sums it up for me too.

garsands · 18 Aug 2015 at 22:07

OracIe said:
This pretty much sums it up for me too.

It's right at the start that it does it for me 0.05 - 0.06 when the bugger turns to look at the pile of poo on the ground that it almost walk in.

adolf hamster · 18 Aug 2015 at 22:07

ChroniC said:
I can think of two major reasons for not using an engine. 1 it shakes a lot, and 2 it runs out of petrol.

Unlike a battery, when it runs out of petrol it doesnt take 9 hours to recharge.

If electricity storage has surpassed chemical storage in terms of j/kg i've yet to see it demonstrated practically.

firstborn · 18 Aug 2015 at 22:28

garsands said:
It's right at the start that it does it for me 0.05 - 0.06 when the bugger turns to look at the pile of poo on the ground that it almost walk in.

That there comment is humour, yes?

garsands · 18 Aug 2015 at 22:37

firstborn said:
That there comment is humour, yes?

Just reminds me of the Ex Leper from Monty Python and the Life of Brian
1.35 onwards

FoxEye · 19 Aug 2015 at 00:07

garsands said:
This really does give me the creeps, I just imagine being in the woods with this thing fully armed hunting me down.
In a few years & they can run nonstop without needing to rest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33978559

It'll be the descendants of one of these things hunting you down:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31372447

Or it'll be a flying drone.

I don't really understand the obsession with bipedal robots. They don't really seem to offer any real advantage vs 4 legs (or flight), whilst at the same time being more difficult to get right.

StriderX · 19 Aug 2015 at 06:19

Its simply a project, probably wont be viable for a decade until technologies mature.

Quadrupedals are still the most stable, obviously.

Tefal · 19 Aug 2015 at 06:26

adolf hamster said:
Pretty good, the ability to store power always hampers these things though, its almost as if robot designers have never heard of internal combustion.

big dog etc use combustion engines, two stokes are not the quietest things on earth lol

FoxEye said:
I don't really understand the obsession with bipedal robots. They don't really seem to offer any real advantage vs 4 legs (or flight), whilst at the same time being more difficult to get right.

they can function in a world designed for humans?

4 legs or flight aint gonna navigate an office building anywhere like the ability of a humanoid robot.

adolf hamster said:
Unlike a battery, when it runs out of petrol it doesnt take 9 hours to recharge.

If electricity storage has surpassed chemical storage in terms of j/kg i've yet to see it demonstrated practically.

but with petrol you need fuel + engine + generator

which is a complicated set up for a test bed that spends most of its time in a building hooked up with cables anyway.

Cosimo · 19 Aug 2015 at 07:05

Cosimo said:
Atlas going for walkies in the wood!

It's going to be amazing to see one of these go walking about untethered.

Efour · 19 Aug 2015 at 07:39

Walks like a drunk spastic thats crapped it's pants.

But enough about me. The robot is cool.

leaskovski · 19 Aug 2015 at 09:10

Efour said:
Walks like a drunk spastic thats crapped it's pants.

But enough about me. The robot is cool.

oooooh, controversial!

FoxEye · 19 Aug 2015 at 09:57

Tefal said:
they can function in a world designed for humans?

4 legs or flight aint gonna navigate an office building anywhere like the ability of a humanoid robot.

Disagree completely. A quadruped will have no problems getting up and down stairs and around the office.

It's going to take decades more research just to make biped robots that don't lose their balance when the floor is unstable (like sand, rubble). Quadruped robots are already capable of this.

It's not just my opinion. Many experts say biped robots are just human vanity over practicality.

BigDannyO · 19 Aug 2015 at 10:59

FoxEye said:
Disagree completely. A quadruped will have no problems getting up and down stairs and around the office.

It's going to take decades more research just to make biped robots that don't lose their balance when the floor is unstable (like sand, rubble). Quadruped robots are already capable of this.

It's not just my opinion. Many experts say biped robots are just human vanity over practicality.

Also a quadruped will have a much more stable and usable cargo or gun platform, which surely is the main point for a robot like this?

Werewolf · 19 Aug 2015 at 11:25

Tefal said:
they can function in a world designed for humans?

4 legs or flight aint gonna navigate an office building anywhere like the ability of a humanoid robot.

.

Aye, bipedal isn't the most efficient or easiest to get right, but it is the one that fits into the human world most efficiently.

If you make it able to walk like a human and use tools like a human you don't have to design everything it works with specifically for it (instead it can theoretically use many things that a human can without needing to adapt them).
It's about versatility of the base design.

So things like it being able to use stairs, open doors, use basic tools, get into and out of standard human conveyances as opposed to specially designed ones, or even just a limited range (say a normal car or 4x4 rather than the back of a van).

FoxEye · 19 Aug 2015 at 11:59

Werewolf said:
So things like it being able to use stairs, open doors, use basic tools, get into and out of standard human conveyances as opposed to specially designed ones, or even just a limited range (say a normal car or 4x4 rather than the back of a van).

Cars are getting more computerised as we go forwards. For a robot to drive a car you won't need it to push the pedals. It can just plug in or use wireless.

When they were first developing spell checkers, progress was very slow as they tried to develop a pair of robot arms which would pop out and push the backspace key. Alas, after many accidents, they found a better way

Tefal · 19 Aug 2015 at 12:17

FoxEye said:
Cars are getting more computerised as we go forwards. For a robot to drive a car you won't need it to push the pedals. It can just plug in or use wireless.

When they were first developing spell checkers, progress was very slow as they tried to develop a pair of robot arms which would pop out and push the backspace key. Alas, after many accidents, they found a better way

its more a case of fitting it inside than having it drive for you.

fitting a big 4 legged thing in the car is difficult fitting what's basically another person in is easy.

also what use is a 4 legged robot? seriously what use is it other than an all terrain trolley, it cant manipulate anything it cant do anything really useful other than carry stuff.