Department of Defense and DARPA’s Latest Pet Projects (VIDEOS)
Meet Mr. Domo DARPA Roboto– and His Little Friends
Skippy Massey
Humboldt Sentinel
Imagine this Mr. Roboto guy knocking at your door to conduct a police manhunt for a suspected terrorist. Stayin’ Alive takes on a whole new meaning. Say hello to the future. Say hello to our little friend(s).
Released on April 5, the PETMAN robot seen above was developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) CBD program.
PETMAN is used to test the performance of protective clothing designed for hazardous environments. The video shows initial testing in a chemical protection suit and gas mask.
PETMAN has sensors embedded in its skin that detect any chemicals leaking through the suit. The skin also maintains a micro-climate inside the clothing by sweating and regulating temperature.
We suspect Mr. Roboto will take on other military and combat applications for the battlefield soon. Partners in developing PETMAN were MRI Global, Measurement Technology Northwest, Smith Carter, SRD, CUH2A, and HHI.
DARPA’s Cheetah robot, above—already the fastest legged robot in history—just broke its own land speed record of 18 miles per hour.
In the process, Cheetah also surpassed another very fast mover: Olympic runner Usain Bolt. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, Bolt set the world speed record for a human in 2009 when he reached a peak speed of 27.78 mph for a 20-meter split during the 100-meter sprint.
Cheetah was recently clocked at 29.3 mph for a 20-meter split. The Cheetah had a slight advantage over Bolt as it ran on a treadmill.
Cheetah is being developed and tested under DARPA’s (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Maximum Mobility and Manipulation program by Boston Dynamics. The increase in speed since results were last reported in March of 2012 and is due to improved control algorithms and a more powerful pump. The goal is to reach 50 mph.
DARPA’s intent with the Cheetah-bot and its other robotics programs is to attempt to understand and engineer robots having certain core capabilities that living organisms have refined over the course of evolution: efficient locomotion, manipulation of objects, and adaptability to environments.
By drawing inspiration from nature, DARPA gains technological building blocks that create possibilities for a whole range of robots suited to future Department of Defense military missions.
For more on Cheetah and DARPA’s other robotics programs, visit: http://go.usa.gov/rVqk or https://twitter.com/darpa
Here’s where it all comes together:
The Pentagon’s DARPA and others reveal their most sinister robots coming together into a cohesive whole in the above collage clip. The wickedly Star Wars-like project named the LS3 starts at minute 2:34. The new developments in insect drones start at 3:50.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, released video footage of these projects that have been long in the works and are now starting to take shape. These related projects could very well be all it takes to scare off any insurgents once they’re combat ready for the battlefield.
Produced in numbers, they may very well counter the largest standing army in the world: China, with 3.5 million available soldiers at the ready (though estimates of their size vary and kept secret by Chinese officials).
Better living– and an even quicker death– through science and technology in the 21st century.
Welcome to the future, our Brave New World, brought to you by DARPA, the Department of Defense, and your generous tax dollars.
Styx got it right 30 years ago for those who remember:
“MR. ROBOTO” by Styx (from the album Killroy Was Here, 1983)
You’re wondering who I am, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
Machine or mannequin, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
With parts made in Japan, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
I am the modern man.I’ve got a secret I’ve been hiding under my skin,
My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain IBM,
So if you see me acting strangely, don’t be surprised,
I’m just a man who needed someone and somewhere to hide,
To keep me alive, just keep me alive,
Somewhere to hide to keep me alive.I’m not a robot without emotions, I’m not what you see,
I’ve come to help you with your problems so we can be free,
I’m not a hero, I’m not a savior, forget what you know,
I’m just a man who’s circumstances went beyond his control,
Beyond my control, We all need control,
I need control, We all need control.I am the modern man, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
Who hides behind a mask, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
So no one else can see, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
My true identity,Domo arigato, Mr, Roboto,
Domo, Domo,(Thank you very much, oh Mr. Roboto,
For doing the jobs that nobody wants to)
(And thank you very much oh Mr. Roboto,
For helping me escape just when I needed to)(Thank you thank you, thank you)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto,
(I wanna thank you)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto,
(Please thank you)The problem’s plain to see,
Too much technology,
Machines to save our lives,
Machines de-humanize,The time has come at last, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
To throw away this mask, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
Now everyone can see, (Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
My true identity…I’m Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy…
