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When the iDog was introduced, some thought real pets might become
obsolete in favor of their hassle-free robotic counterparts. Living pets are still around, but robotic
animals are being put to use in other situations. In this three-part series on the Animal
Science blog, we'll cover the history of robotic animals and some of their uses
in the world today.
History
 Mechanical animals existed as far back as the early
1700s. French inventor Jacques de Vaucanson
created a life-size mechanical duck that could flap its wings, move its neck,
and swallow food. Japan was also a
leading innovator of mechanical animals during this time period.
In 2005 the iDog was released in the U.S. It is a robot that can interact with iPods
and humans. The iDog has multi-colored
flashing LED lights and can dance to the beat of music it hears. Although it is entertaining, the iDog doesn't
really help humans out with their everyday needs (think of service dogs trained
to retrieve phones, open doors, and pick up dropped items).
Could a robotic version of an animal help out with those
things? What are the benefits? No allergens, no messes to clean up, no
maintenance (food, water) – because a robot would just need to be "plugged in",
and could even be programmed to do that on its own!
Robotic Dogs in the
Military – BigDog
 The term "robot" often conjures up images of technology,
manufacturing, or military. It's not
surprising then that the military decided to try out a robotic canine called
BigDog.
Created in 2005 by Boston
Dynamics, BigDog lives up to its name – it is 170 pounds and 28 inches tall
(for comparison, the average Great Dane weighs 100-200 pounds and is 30-34
inches tall). The robot has some
physiological qualities that a real dog does not possess, including:
- Variety of sensors on the
legs for joint position and ground contact (no wheels or treads)
- Laser gyroscope
- Stereo vision system
- Onboard computer control
system that manages locomotion, navigation, and balance
BigDog boasts many physical capabilities that help make it a
"robotic pack mule" to help move soldiers move heavy items across rough terrain
where conventional vehicles cannot access.
Some of its features include:
- Movement across difficult
terrain (including ice) at 3.3 miles per hour
- Ability to climb a 35
degree incline
- Carrying capacity of 340 pounds
- Balance recovery after
being kicked from the side
Robotic animals have a lot of features and there is little
sentimental value if they are lost in the line of duty (just replacement
cost). But what about robotic animals
that have to do double duty – act as work animals or training tools and pets? We'll take a look at those in Part 2.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BigDog
http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/dogbreeds/great-dane.php
http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=BigDog
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Re: Mechanical Animals – Robotic Replacements (Part 1)
