This bipedal bot walks on two legs and can recover from a push,
using the same balancing technology that allows BigDog to recover from a kick
or keep its balance when walking on ice.
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While BigDog was designed to carry payloads for soldiers in the
field, Petman will be used for military chemical suit research. In the final
version, which should be ready in 2011, Petman will have a range of motions. According to the company:
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Unlike previous suit
testers, which had to be supported mechanically and had a limited repertoire of
motion, PETMAN will balance itself and move freely; walking, crawling and doing
a variety of suit-stressing calisthenics during exposure to chemical warfare
agents.
The finished Petman will also mimic human physiology, for example sweating
in response to temperature and humidity changes, to make it a realistic testing
device for the suits.
According to the IEEE’s Automaton
blog, the prototype currently has a top speed of 3.2 mph. Watch a video of Petman
striding smoothly along a treadmill track below.
