Boston Dynamics, the robot design and production company that "builds advanced robots with remarkable behavior", released YouTube footage of its latest creation last week. Over 13 million people watched WildCat and its cougar-like bot gallop at speeds of 16 mph, according to the YouTube video.
The video description reads:
"WildCat is a four-legged robot being developed to run fast on all types of terrain. So far WildCat has run at about 16 mph on flat terrain using bounding and galloping gaits. The video shows WildCat's best performance so far. WildCat is being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA's M3 program."
If you watched the video, you'll notice the robot contains a loud engine ignited via a lawn mower-like motion and is relatively slow to warm up. Once it does, the bot mimics a four-legged mammal (possibily a wild cat) en route to speeds of 16 mph (a little quicker than 4:00 mile pace).
WildCat's purpose is to navigate natural terrain for military operations, reported extremetech.com. One of Boston Dynamics' other bots, the BigDog, reportedly carries 400 pounds across rough environment, needing only to refuel every 20 miles, as per Extreme Tech.
Though it isn't as developed as BigDog or as fast Boston Dynamic's last mobile bot, Cheetah (28 mph), WildCat should surpass both once developers make the necessary upgrades, according to Extreme Tech. Unlike the two previous creations, WildCat began as a wireless entity; BigDog originally operated on a guided "tether" while Cheetah still does. According to Extreme Tech, Boston Dynamics plan for WildCat to transport supplies at 50 mph.
Extreme Tech surmises the bots could be used in battle one day, to varying degrees, "...perhaps to run supplies to the frontline, or perhaps for more aggressive acts, such as a suicidal robotic bomb that runs into the enemy line and explodes."
Boston Dynamics also continues to develop a human-like robot, Atlas. Its progress was updated last week on YouTube.
