Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Robotic LittleDog Can Now Follow You Home... From the Depths of Hell

by Warren Riddle on May 25, 2010 at 05:00 PM

robot littledog
Robotic engineers seem to focus an inordinate amount of time constructing cute, little doggy-bots, perhaps because no one expects man's best friend to lead the apocalyptic rebellion. Robo-dogs keep the elderly company, perform in orchestras and dance to Outkast. Some wack-jobs have even suggested that universities adopt cyber-mutts as their official mascots.

Creators from the increasingly terrifying, X-Files-like arm of the U.S. military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Boston Dynamics have worked in conjunction to develop their own cyber-canine, the LittleDog, for almost three years. When we first saw it in action, the little guy could only clumsily and painstakingly maneuver through various environments.

The team has apparently unleashed a new incarnation of LittleDog, which can now quickly, smoothly and effectively traverse rocky terrain, cross gaps, climb stairs and even adjust to "unperceived obstacles." With Boston Dynamics on board, the groups could conceivably add claws to enable climbing, thereby ensuring that no man could ever escape a sprinting, murderous mechanical pooch.

Maybe we're just unfairly persecuting LittleDog, since it could obviously perform a host of beneficial services like scouting missions and search and rescue operations. But, until they put a pet-able head on the unfortunate thing, it will merely resemble a chilling and menacing cyber-cockroach. [From: Dvice]

Tags: BostonDynamics, darpa, little dog, LittleDog, military, MilitaryTech, robot, RobotDog, robotics, robots, terrifying, top

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular