Posted on 02/28/2017 7:23:43 AM PST by RoosterRedux
Google-owned robotics firm and nightmare factory Boston Dynamics has released video of its latest creation: a two-wheeled, four-legged hybrid robot named Handle.
The robot can stand on four legs, like Boston Dynamics previous creations such as BigDog and Spot. But at the end of its back two legs are two stabilised wheels, which let it stand up vertically and roll around at speeds of up to nine miles per hour. Think Terminator riding on a hoverboard and youll have a pretty good idea of the impression Handle gives off.
Boston Dynamics says the reason for the hybrid design is the simplicity it affords: rather than needing the complex joints of the fully-quadrupedal bots, Handles wheels can speed it around with little difficulty, while its front legs can be used for balance and for carrying loads of up to 50kg.
Handle uses many of the same dynamics, balance and mobile manipulation principles found in the quadruped and biped robots we build, Boston Dynamics said, but with only about 10 actuated joints, it is significantly less complex. Wheels are efficient on flat surfaces while legs can go almost anywhere: by combining wheels and legs, Handle can have the best of both worlds. The video does not, however, show Handle walking rather that scooting around on its wheels.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
It's really a shaved alpaca.
Which is a vicuna.
A llama is a lama.
So is a guanaco..
They all spit.
And we are having blusteries. Things are rattling and creaking. Especially in the window area..
And complete with the obligatory wind advisory from the weather foregnosticators warning us that it might not be wise to ride the motorcycle today. Or drive a high profile vehicle.
Something about those gusts to 50 mph...
And we are having blusteries. Things are rattling and creaking. Especially in the window area..
And complete with the obligatory wind advisory from the weather foregnosticators warning us that it might not be wise to ride the motorcycle today. Or drive a high profile vehicle.
Something about those gusts to 50 mph...
See..
Look what the wind did to the tcp/ip packets. They got so scrambled they duplicated themselves...
Those things are fun to watch. I noted that the cameraman must like getting blasted with the flying snow since it happened more than once..
Did you know that the power unit (the modified F7B - with the diesel prime mover and generator but no traction motors) is called a ‘snail’? The function of the ‘snail’ power unit is to generate the power to run the big fan. The entire assembly must be pushed by a ‘real’ locomotive. This is as opposed to the more common ‘slug’ which is a ballasted unit with traction motors on the drive axles but no prime mover. It gets its power from the Mother and can move itself - as long as it is connected to the mother unit.
Also when SP did the original conversion, the four traction motors from the F7B were installed in the rotary body and coupled to a tandem gear box to drive the fan. The 207 (one of the units in that video) was rebuilt in 2014 and the four traction motors driving the fan from the F7B were replaced with two traction motors from an SD50 and the 1500hp 16 cylinder EMD567 (the original F7 prime mover) was replaced by a 12 cylinder EMD635 of (I think - source of the info was not clear) 1750 hp..
All the trivia you didn’t ask for.. ;-)
Outside. The cats got wet.
good morning....mrrfff... Coffee ....
Good morning. Don’t touch that dial, Kitteh! It’s a trap!
The squee! It floofs!
Good morning. I survived the night, but I don’t know how. It seems I was up most of it. From the sublime to the ridiculous, I guess.
I had dreams, but I don’t remember what they were. Not Tom doing the Charleston, fortunately.
All the letters reached (or should have) the proper recipients yesterday, and it didn’t take long for the local Klingon and her minions to react.
There is a notice that the “election” has been cancelled. Right next to it is another notice that says that nominations for the resident council will be held on Thursday the 8th.
This is good, but the really good stuff is yet to come. I’m waiting for HUD’s involvement. Eddie the Attorney was so impressed with the letter he has volunteered his services, should they be needed. :o])
Now all we need to do is get rid of the council altogether. Zeke knows how to do that but I don’t. I told him this morning that hindsight being 20/20, I should have used the word “discrimination” in it at least once.
Anyway, I’m still tired from it all.
Sally spent the night at Jamie's again because Jamie went to the emergency room due to something or other. This morning, things are back to what passes for normal chez Jamie ... and yes, I recognize the irony of my saying "normal" ... and Sally's hair color is done. I said I'd pick her up between 10 and 11, after we go to the back to deposit Bill's rent check (paid on time!) and to the library. I'm just waiting to make sure Tom and Elen get off to school. They've been running late the last couple of days.
Darn, that’s a pathetic-looking camelid. However, there’s not much point in keeping alpacas if you’re not going to shear them.
Monkey Face ~ I ordered that book on Amazon way back in November and never did get it.
You should have gotten it on Ash Wendsday...
Of course. It was the delivery system at fault...
But I did get my money back so that’s good!
Not specified, but I'm going to go with later based on the narrative that was provided.
Side note, apparently Ray Bradbury didn't have much in the way of ready cash or assets when he wrote Farenheit 451 so he wrote the entire thing on a library typewriter for which he paid by the hour. I think it was some exorbitant sum like $.10.hour. Anyway, that's why it is such a minimalist story.
Cabal of idiots? At best : )
That isn’t confidence, it is arrogance. Don’t diminish my hard work...
:-)
Howya, DC! Cold enough for you?
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