DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3)

Today's dismounted warfighter can be saddled with more than 100 pounds of gear, resulting in physical strain, fatigue, and degraded performance. To help alleviate the impact of excess weight on troops, DARPA is developing a highly mobile, semi-autonomous four-legged robot, the Legged Squad Support System (LS3). LS3 includes onboard sensors to perceive obstacles in its environment and path-planning capabilities to avoid them. The LS3 platform is designed with the squad in mind and is therefore significantly quieter, faster and has a much higher carrying capacity for longer mission durations than DARPA's earlier mobility technology demonstrator BigDog. The LS3 prototype recently completed its first outdoor assessment, demonstrating mobility by climbing and descending a hill and exercising its perception and autonomous follow-the-leader capabilities.

[kasuskasus]

This'll be great for stealth missions.

[HiAdrian]

As promised, the new engine is considerably less loud; nice work!

[Danleyson]

I saw the original, longer version of the video introducing this new mechanism. It's rather interesting. They can be pushed and regain their balance. I'd like to see them put into action.

[VictorGonzalez-dxzz]

wow this thing even has horse legs?! OMG! I’m liking this I’m getting so satisfied!

[johnspectre]

Excellent, the enemy will never hear that coming.

[theothertylaxguy]

Oh big dog, you matured so much... I remember when you were just being kicked around to show your balance and stability...

[Faytless]

Nice to see that stuff from MGS 4 is coming alive awesome stuff this is :)

[MVE]

Just out of interest, does the robot observe its surroundings and identify possible hazards (as a detection/ avoidance system) prior to walking on a surface, or does it just 'walk' over any surface and deal with a hazardous situation as it is being experienced?

[fkndetermined]

This would be great for stealth missions.

[Dimaz]

@talonthorn lol.. good point! Also, isn't this thing consume fuel for it's movement motors rather than battery powered? That even worse, but understandable..

[tromotromo]

You would hope the final version will not be so loud.

[PirateMcSandwich]

@TR8CED This IS Boston Dynamic's LS3 prototype.

[tiagotiagot]

I know camera mics can make some sounds appear much louder than they really are; how loud is this thing in person?

[llennon]

i was infantry and this is a major break in noise and light disipline

[bluefrostedglass]

That's was an awesome Skrillex soundtrack playing in the background of that video

[fludblud]

@InPursuitOfALife mules can get scared, mules get tired, mules can get injured, mules can die, mules also piss and shit everywhere and occasionally suffer from bad tempers that make them difficult to handle.

these factors can either seriously compromise a mission or prove downright fatal on the battlefield.

when alphadog gets its leg blown off by an IED, all you have to do is stick on a new leg, it wont complain, never gets tired and can carry far more than a mule. this is only a prototype.

[Maraudr]

i cant decide which is creepier. this one or the big dog

[Spartan]

@NetNinja01 It's a lot tougher than you think. The whole thing is powered by a hydraulic pump that doubles as a generator for the electrical systems, so any shot that does not directly hit the electronics, engine or hydraulic lines is unlikely to stop it. Besides, the concepts that I've seen show the final version encased in a lightweight armored shell that this prototype lacks.

[SXAJT]

you are right....
mayby this invention will be evolved into something very usefull tool .
its an impresive thing..
i saw it from the economic prespective for an army, war is money also
i am fun of hi-tek things but also lo tek...
example: the low tekT34 compared to the hi-tek tiger tank was absolete ....
but you know the results..
i started this conversation because the mules in the greek-italian war where effective as the JU52 because the terrain was anaproachable
thank you.

[TrdVrk]

How much longer will you be developing this?