tbtitwrn: Big Dog

[eselgeist]

I dunno if you've been keeping up on the field of robotics lately, but every so often I'll go to YouTube to check for new videos of Big Dog, the "mule" being developed by Boston Dynamics for military purposes. It's meant to carry shit and not tip over, that's it. It looks and sounds like something out of Silent Hill; oddly pathetic, eerie, silly

Comments

[kamenkyote]

I think the weirdest part of the whole thing is when it slips on the ice and catches itself multiple times. For my money, this thing comes closest to human thought of any computer-driven device I've seen. The number of calculations it must be doing to stay upright during all this must be huge. Perhaps that's what triggers 'uncanny valley;' a sense of threat, an animalistic feeling that something could take one's place.

Your description is dead on. It's amazing how eerie AND irritating it can be!

[eselgeist]

i kno rite? i don't think i could've stood up on that ice so well.

i'm assuming the noise issues will be dealt with near the end of development.
or left in... i mean, a mass of those things coming over a hill with attached
flamethrowers would terrify me, that's for sure, particularly with that unnatural noise.

i'm also assuming these things will -be- carrying a flamethrower or two :P

[spotweld]

The scary part will be *espcailly* when they get a large number of them up and running and they install some wifi self avoidance.

Imagine a heard all suddenly turning to run right at you.

[djtheutii]

It's the noise that makes it so irritating, otherwise it's pretty damned cool. :)

[starfallz]

This one fascinated me when I first heard of it. It is a little creepy, but amazing as well. I kind of see some story of a girl with a somewhat sentient one that is her companion. :)

[sasuga]

Right after the guy kicks it to make it stumble, they edited out the part where it turns and slices him in half with its razor whips.

[ursulav]

That's incredible. And yeah, it kinda weirds me out.

[eselgeist]

The fanart missiles are already in the air! :O