BigDog
BigDog was a quadrupedal robot created in 2005 by Boston Dynamics, in conjunction with Foster-Miller, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. It was funded by DARPA in the hopes that it would be able to serve as a robotic pack mule to accompany soldiers in terrain too rough for vehicles, but the project was shelved after BigDog was deemed too loud to be used in combat.[20][21] Instead of wheels, BigDog used four legs for movement, allowing it to move across surfaces that would defeat wheels. Called "the world's most ambitious legged robot", it was designed to carry 340 lb alongside a soldier at 4 mph, traversing rough terrain at inclines up to 35 degrees.
Cheetah
The Cheetah is a four-footed robot that gallops at 28 mph, which as of August 2012 is a land speed record for legged robots.[22]
A similar but independently developed robot, also known as Cheetah, has been manufactured by MIT's Biomimetic Robotics Lab,[23] which, by 2014, could jump over obstacles while running.[24][25] By 2018, the robot was able to climb stairs.[26]
LittleDog
Released around 2010,[27] LittleDog is a small quadruped robot developed for DARPA by Boston Dynamics for research. Unlike BigDog, which is run by Boston Dynamics, LittleDog is intended as a testbed for other institutions. Boston Dynamics maintains the robots for DARPA as a standard platform.[28]
LittleDog has four legs, each powered by three electric motors. The legs have a large range of motion. The robot is strong enough for climbing and dynamic locomotion gaits. The onboard PC-level computer does sensing, actuator control, and communications. LittleDog's sensors measure joint angles, motor currents, body orientation, and foot/ground contact. Control programs access the robot through the Boston Dynamics Robot API. Onboard lithium polymer batteries allow for 30 minutes of continuous operation without recharging. Wireless communications and data logging support remote operation and data analysis. LittleDog development is funded by the DARPA Information Processing Technology Office.[29]
PETMAN
PETMAN (Protection Ensemble Test Mannequin) is a bipedal device constructed for testing chemical protection suits. It is the first anthropomorphic robot that moves dynamically like a person.[30]
LS3
Legged Squad Support System (LS3), also known as AlphaDog, is a militarized version of BigDog. It is ruggedized for military use, capable of operating in hot, cold, wet, and dirty environments.[31]
According to Lt. Col. Joe Hitt and the US Marine Corps's program manager, "The vision for LS3 is to combine the capabilities of a pack mule with the intelligence of a trained animal." LS3 is capable of reacting to visual or oral commands and utilizes an on-board GPS system, along with computer vision (LIDAR and IR), to guide itself through terrain. Due to its ability to track oral commands, soldiers within the field found it difficult to hold a conversation with this bot in a vicinity because it would unknowingly follow commands not given to itself. Unlike its living counterparts, LS3 can march for 20 miles (32 km) before running out of fuel. The robot is also more resistant to injury and disability and does not suffer from the shortcomings of bleeding and falling over, the historical weaknessess of mules and other military animals.[32]
Atlas
The Agile Anthropomorphic Robot "Atlas" is a 5-foot (152.4 cm) bipedal humanoid robot, based on Boston Dynamics' earlier PETMAN humanoid robot, and designed for a variety of search and rescue tasks.
In February 2016, Boston Dynamics published a YouTube video entitled "Atlas, The Next Generation" showing a new humanoid robot about 5 feet tall (152.4 cm). In the video, the robot is shown performing several tasks that would have been difficult or impossible for the previous generation of humanoid robots.[33]
A video posted to the Boston Dynamics channel of YouTube, dated October 11, 2018, titled "Parkour Atlas", shows the robot easily running up 2-foot high steps onto a platform. Atlas is shown in a September 2019 YouTube video doing "More Parkour".[34]
In April 2024, the company announced that they had retired the hydraulic-based Atlas in favor of a new all-electric version of Atlas.[35][36]
Spot
On June 23, 2016, Boston Dynamics revealed the four-legged canine-inspired Spot, weighing 25 kg (55 pounds), which was lighter than their other products.[37] Spot was designed to travel over terrain or environments that were previously difficult for other robots.[38]
In November 2017, a promotional video of Spot using its forward claw to open a door for another robot reached #1 on YouTube, with over 2 million views. A later video, released the same month, showed Spot persisting in attempting to open the door in the face of human interference. Viewers perceived the robot as "creepy" and "reminiscent of all kinds of sci-fi robots that wouldn't give up in their missions to seek and destroy."[39][40][41]
On 11 May 2018, Boston Dynamics CEO Marc Raibert announced at TechCrunch Robotics Session 2018 that Spot was in pre-production and preparing for commercial availability in 2019.
Handle
Handle is a research robot with two flexible legs on wheels and two "hands" for manipulating or carrying objects. It can stand 6.5 ft tall, travel at 9 mph, and jump 4 ft vertically. It utilizes electric power to operate various electric and hydraulic actuators, with a range of approximately 15 mi on one battery charge. Handle uses many of the same dynamics, balance, and mobile manipulation principles found in the other robots by Boston Dynamics; however, with only about 10 actuated joints, it is significantly less complex.[55][56]
Stretch
On March 29, 2021, Boston Dynamics announced via a video on their YouTube channel the Stretch robot that was designed for warehouse automation. It has a square mobile base containing a set of wheels, a “perception mast” with cameras and other sensors, and a robotic arm with seven degrees of freedom and a suction pad array on the end that can grab and move boxes up to 23 kilograms (50 lbs) in weight.[57]
Pick
Pick is a robot just like Stretch, but fixed in a particular place. It is designed to carry boxes. It can identify a box in less than a second. It automatically disposes of the sheet of cardboard in between stacks of boxes.
Factory Safety Service Robot
The Factory Safety Service Robot was unveiled on September 17, 2021.[58][59] It was the first joint venture with Hyundai Motor Group. The robot is based on the existing Boston Dynamics robot Spot. Its integrated thermal camera and 3D LiDAR system help detect nearby people, monitor fire hazards, and recognize open and closed doors.[60][61]
