Truth is stranger than fiction after all, and it seems that the latest iteration of Boston Dynamics’ LS3 (Legged Squad Support System) has taken a page out of George Lucas’ Star Wars book, where it definitely brings back memories of the AT-AT (All Terrain Armoured Transport) Walker that debuted in Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, although there is a far closer resemblance to the AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer) Walker that appeared in Episode 2: Attack of the Clones.
The LS3 is meant to be a battlefield support robot, accompanying war fighters into battle while being sturdy enough to tote up to 180kg payloads, ensuring troops can concentrate on bringing the fight to the enemy instead of being encumbered by their equipment and supplies. Will it carry weapons, or have its own built-in defense mechanisms? We do not see any reason not to, so let us raise our cups to the possibility of a ‘digital centaur’ of the 21st century.
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