Sorta-OT: Amazing Quadraped Robot

Vern Graner

Ok, so there aren't any parallax parts in this puppy (that I'm aware of anyway!) but this is an absolutely AMAZING quadraped robot video! Wait till you see this thing move and handle rough terrain. The legs and it's motions certainly cross over into "the uncanny valley" as it seems to evoke sympathy in people when the operator KICKS the bot to try and knock it over. Amazing video! Worth the 20meg dload---

From this link:

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/mech-tech/dn8802.html

Comes this video:

http://www.bostondynamics.com/dist/BigDog_Feb-26-2006.wmv

I wonder what it would take to create a smaller version of this that could survive being pushed off-balance from the side and not tip over. Has anyone gotten close to this advanced with hobby robots or is this level of stability strictly "big league" only?

Vern

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XNOR

Looks cool. I wonder if it can get up if it does get knocked down?