Google buys Pentagon-funded robotics firm behind fastest-legged robot

Google has so far refused to reveal what it is planning to do with the new technology, but the internet giant’s robotic efforts, headed by Andy Rubin, will certainly have impressive capability due to the new acquisition. The company also said it will keep the financial aspect of the deal confidential.

As of now, Boston Dynamics has a $10.8 million contract with DARPA to supply several humanoid Atlas robots. The machines are set to participate in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, which awards the winning maker with a $2 million prize. The contest evaluates robots’ ability to function during natural disasters and catastrophes such as an earthquake or a nuclear power meltdown.

The robotics firm has also designed robots that can climb walls and trees, as well as run faster than any human being on earth. A video recorded the Cheetah robot running 29mph faster than the fastest human, Usain Bolt. The Jamaican sprinter’s top speed is 27.78 mph (44.7km/h).
Source: RT 

ATLAS: The Pentagon's latest terminator robot (VIDEO)

What has two arms, two legs and 28 hydraulically actuated joints? Its name is ATLAS, and it could be in charge of saving your life someday.

The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is always unveiling new gizmos and gadgets, but the latest effort from DARPA is something that seems more out of a sci-fi movie than a science lab. The Defense Department’s experimental unit is looking to see what kind of robot it can develop to someday provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and its outsourcing that mission to scientists from the likes of MIT and other prestigious institutions participating in its latest Virtual Robotics Challenge (VRC).
Source: RT

When the VRC got underway last week, DARPA provided the six competing teams with access to ATLAS, a 6-foot-2-inch, 330-pound (1.8 m, 250 kg) robot that ideally will be able to enter disaster areas someday and provide relief efforts in instances where direct human involvement is impractical or impossible.

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Source: rt.com