That's some serious balancing. Engineers at Boston Dynamics are making progress with "Atlas", the 6-foot, 330-pound humanoid robot. Still a long way to go from this to fast robot ninjas, but it's already intimidating as it tries to do the famous "Crane Kick" (or at least the stance) from Karate Kid.
The DARPA Robotics Challenge was held the other day in Miami, pitting some of the world's most advanced humanoid robots against each other to see which was the most lethal best suited to handling emergency situations.
Last year, DARPA unveiled Cheetah: a robot that could run faster than Usain Bolt. Now, the same team has managed to create a version that doesn't need a power cord, making the electronic beast free to roam wherever it chooses. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--qkMeI15N--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_358,q_80,w_636/18r4bisx8d73wjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--9hXVd8_k--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320/18r4bisx8d73wjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--GO8bjgcr--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_77,q_80,w_137/18r4bisx8d73wjpg.jpg, (large)])
Terrifying robot watch update: in the video above, a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) robot called "Pet-Proto" is locked in a corridor and presented with two obstacles. The first is a step it must climb onto. The second is a gap it must inch across.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--2v0IrC7h--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/17icogmv73z6mjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--biJinKx1--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/17icogmv73z6mjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Dk5Gv22y--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/17icogmv73z6mjpg.jpg, (large)])
When I think of "DARPA," and "video games," my mind leaps to Metal Gear Solid. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), run by the U.S. Department of Defense, has shown up for many years in our games as a shadowy source of implausible technology and machinations.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--5mVL-WV0--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/18j28i2ytsov2jpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QoIVTU6P--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_180,q_80,w_320/18j28i2ytsov2jpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hscVeeTs--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18j28i2ytsov2jpg.jpg, (large)])
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which some may recognize as a founding father of the Internet, is developing antisubmarine warfare drones and has released a video game hoping to crowdsource some of the tactical AI behind them.
