DARPA Wants A Bigger BigDog

February 2, 2010

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA has just awarded a $32 million dollar contract to Boston Dynamics to create a bigger Bigdog.

Last year, we met Boston Dynamics BigDog and he was quite efficient as an army companion. However, DARPA announced this year that they wanted a bigger, bolder and stronger BigDog capable of carrying 400 pounds or more of payload within 24 hours of sustained capability.

The contract was awarded in January 26, 2010 under the LS3 program of DARPA. The LS3 or the Legged Squad Support System is a joint effort between DARPA and the U.S. Marine Corps. Below is an excerpt of the DARPA's Official News Release.

Key LS3 program themes are:

-Quadruped platform development: design of a deployable walking platform with sufficient payload capacity, range, endurance, and low noise signature for dismounted squad support, while keeping weight and volume scaled to the squad level.

-Walking control: develop control techniques that allow walking, trotting, and running/ bounding and capabilities to jump obstacles, cross ditches, recover from disturbances, and other discrete mobility features.

-User Interface (to include perception technologies): the ability for the vehicle to perceive and traverse its immediate terrain environment autonomously with simple methods of Marine/Soldier control.

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