Looks like grunts in the military now have some robotic muscle to carry all their gear, and it comes in the headless, four-legged robotic pack mule known as the BigDog. Recently having secured up to $10 million in Pentagon funding, the BigDog is a petrol-engine powered robot that is capable of running and jumping with its load, negotiating obstacles of various lengths and widths. I must say it looks to possess some extremely natural movement, and the $10 million will go a long way in making it more realistic. Heck, it is even capable of maintaining its balance despite receiving external forces such as a kick or shove. One drawback would be the noise that could give the game away though. Check out the video of the BigDog in action here.
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