[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNUeSUXOc-w?rel=0&w=615&h=346]

Wow, DARPA and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory’s LS3 robot program (Legged Squad Support System) has made some strides… literally, judging by this video of its BigDog robot (and it’s one big dog) following its leader tight on command, walking through rough terrain in the woods during field testing in Virginia. They’ve been able to improve foot placement, and then there’s the rollover and recovery, not to mention dealing with a mud puddle and fallen logs. This is all, of course, aimed at military purposes — they want to show that a robotic animal can carry 400 pounds of a squad’s equipment and get around on commands.

If you’re a robotics aficionado, this stuff is awesome.

HT: Popular Science