DARPA unTerminators gather for Robotics Challenge finals in Hell* Schwarzenegger-sized robots that can break through walls are the staple of Hollywood, but the real thing is coming to California. The US military's secret-squirrel super-science-project unit DARPA is preparing to hold the finals of its Robotics Challenge contest in Los Angeles this weekend. 25 teams are flying in to take part …
I can understand why some wouldn't work with DARPA, I see restrictions in FOSS all the time. It makes it interesting to figure out what you can use, matching it to project, and provide the software glue that you to replace that which is restricted.
The article is misleading in that most of those tasks are skills used in combat by real infantrymen, right down to going through walls rather than around. "Around" can get you killed if a building is surrounded and under fire. Ditto rubble, etc.
I wonder if any of them are using the devices that have come about to detect human beings through obstructions. Little used yet (should have been rushed to Nepal), but also relevant for combat. As for power, screw the battery or at least reduce it some. Tack in a mini gas turbine generator, works great, lasts long time, and you can run it on pretty much any fuel around that's liquid. [I've worked on them before. Impressive beasts. And very quiet in low power regimes.]
Perhaps the killer robots' mystery task will be to improvise a decent disguise. Even Arnie would have failed that one.
I love the way he starts sporting a mullet partway through the original movie. Did he seriously believe that a slightly changed haircut would render him instantly unrecognisable?
This is precisely why I have wondered the following: Why is no one trying a Centaur-like design? Four legs for stability but a humanoid upper torso for dexterity, etc. Not only is the four legged design more inherently stable and require less processing power for balance, but it also provides space for power generation and significant carrying capacity for tools, rescued meatbags, etc.
Centaurs don't NEED vehicles. They have their own built-in um... attached horsepower.
seriously though, I wasn't necessarily meaning for this specific challenge but more in general. For this specific challenge, any vehicle designed to be driven by someone in a wheelchair could be driven by an appropriately sized CentaurBot2020©®™
I have seen a four legged animal drive vehicles:
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/campbelllive/driving-dogs-test-out-their-skills-on-the-track-2012121017#axzz3cE2PSLPS
Not well admittedly, but when you have 4 legs and no opposable thumbs,... and are a dog, then getting around a race track at all is pretty successful proof that it could be done by a robot.
Adding arms/hands into a small centaur body shape would no doubt help.
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