Video: Precision Urban Hopper leaps over fences, makes enemies cringe(25feet jump)

endgadget ^ | 09/15/09 | Darren Murph

[TigerLikesRooster]

Video: Precision Urban Hopper leaps over fences, makes enemies cringe

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2009 at 10:46AM

It's only been a few months since we heard from the whiz kids over at Boston Dynamics, and honestly, we've been waiting on pins and needles to see what miracle would emerge from its labs next. Said outfit has just been awarded a contract by Sandia to build the next generation of the Precision Urban Hopper, which will be a four-wheeled jumping robot that can navigate autonomously.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Check out the video at the link. It's really cool.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Urban Precision Hopper, ping!

[Secret Agent Man]

All I know is that anytime they develop new stuff like this, the first thing I think about is it being used against us.

they test em out in other countries first, but this stuff will come back to haunt us patriots.

[GeronL]

Thats cool. kind of scary to think about enemy bots jumping over walls and into our territory.

[Nervous Tick]

kind of scary to think about enemy bots jumping over walls and into our territory.

Don't sweat it. Could never happen. ;-)

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, that reasoning pretty much put a stop to any weapons development. U.S. first had a nuke, now NK has one. The list goes on.

You can only have near monopoly on huge expensive weapons system such as missile defense or hydrogen bomb, or rail gun.

On the other hand, political imperative these days tend to prohibit the use of mass destruction weapon. We are forced to go into this kind of small scale robot warfare to hunt down the enemy.

[montag813]

Any guesses on how? Magnetic hammer propulsion? If so, can’t imagine it can do this more than a few times on a charge.

[Rebelbase]

“All I know is that anytime they develop new stuff like this, the first thing I think about is it being used against us.”

Just cover it with a garbage can.

[I see my hands]

Oh, baby.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I don't know. Maybe it has a magazine which stores a dozen bullet-size charges to give it a kick. I am only speculating.

[bigbob]

I’ll bet it’s pretty simple, like a motor that wraps up a spring that can be triggered to release the stored energy all at once. Something like that could do quite a few hops, as long as there was sufficient time in between. It’s also possible it uses a chemical propellant, or even compressed air, but I doubt it..

[GeronL]

lol

[bigbob]

check out their other robots at http://www.bostondynamics.com/

Very cool stuff!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Maybe it could be loaded with ammo (like a gun).

[freema]

Ping

[HiTech RedNeck]

With a “CRACK” it’s almost instantly on the other side of the fence!

[HiTech RedNeck]

From its sound, I am guessing it is releasing a cocked spring. There is no “POW” like one would expect from an explosion or release of compressed air.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[AussieJoe]

This is great, it’s like parkour for geeks.

[ketsu]

they test em out in other countries first, but this stuff will come back to haunt us patriots.

Individual citizens have *no* chance against the government and haven't for a long time. That's why the "cold dead hands" FReepers are so amusing.