Boston Dynamics robots. History of Boston Dynamics robots

The news feed is full of messages about new advances in robotics. One of the main newsmakers in this area, if not the most important, is the American company Boston Dynamics. It is her robots that are the first to compete for public attention. And the company itself is not only the first in the industry, but also the undisputed leader in terms of “inhumane” attitude towards its creatures. Boston Dynamics engineers mercilessly kick and push their robots to demonstrate their unique resilience.

Founded in 1992 by graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the company entered the constellation of innovators, companies and organizations moving forward high-tech sectors of the US economy. In addition to MIT, this is DARPA (the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), which financed the creation of BigDog, the first robot that brought fame to Boston Dynamics, in 2005, and Google, which bought the company at the end of 2013.

In February of this year, the company introduced the most humanoid robot ever. The latest version of the Atlas robot not only goes outside freely, opening doors in front of it, but also adapts well to changing environments.

So, today we will talk about the developments of Boston Dynamics - robots that surprised us, horrified us and which we even felt a little sorry for.

BigDog - the first Boston Dynamics robot presented to the general public. Translated, the name of the robot is “Big Dog”. But he is not at all a mechanical copy of a dog. The robot's movements, of course, resemble the movements of animals, but they have no analogues in nature.

In order to understand why this happened, you need to look back to 1977. It was this year that Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics, wrote his thesis describing the limb models best suited for robotic movement. The ideas from this work formed the basis for many of the company's developments. By the way, Mark Raibert is already 66 years old (2016) and remains the president of the company.

Looking into the past, it must be said that before creating their robots, the company’s engineers were busy creating software used in the field of robotics. They were also often hired as consultants. Robodog - Aibo and android Qrio were created with the participation of Boston Dynamics specialists.

And then the military appeared. DARPA needed a transport robot that could carry equipment and help soldiers in areas where conventional vehicles could not move. BigDog was created by order of the agency. Its peculiarity compared to other vehicles is that instead of the usual wheels or tracks, it has four legs, like animals. This allows you to navigate areas where wheeled or tracked vehicles cannot pass.

What makes it similar to other vehicles is the internal combustion engine. BigDog is equipped with a single-cylinder two-stroke Leopard go-kart engine, also used in racing karts. Engine power 15 horsepower. It’s just that the engine that powers the electric generator and the robot’s hydraulic system makes quite a lot of noise.

The company's engineers were never able to solve the noise problem. The robot, created for joint actions with the Marines, unmasked their positions and movement routes. In 2015, the company abandoned further development of such robots.

BigDog has become a unique phenomenon in robotics due to its resilience. He can move over rough terrain and maintain his balance even after being pushed. The robot can climb up an incline of 35 degrees and walk on ice. The developments made during its creation were implemented in other robots.

If BigDog was more of a prototype of the company, then created on its basis LS3 ( Legged Squad Support Systems ) aka AlphaDog has already been handed over to the military for testing. The first such tests took place in Hawaii.

During the test, AlphaDog was able to walk 20 kilometers, easily overcoming all obstacles. At the same time, he carried a load weighing 180 kilograms. The next tests of the robot took place in a wooded area of ​​Virginia. Here he was already able to travel 32 kilometers on one gas station. AlphaDog was also tested in urban areas.

The robot is able to follow the operator and understands voice commands. AlphaDog is equipped with numerous sensors, thanks to which it is able to detect obstacles and avoid them without losing its route. Also thanks to them, it follows the guide operator, but for better control of the robot, sensors are also used that are attached to the legs of the person whom the robot is accompanying.

The development of the “dog series” was a robot Spot . Unlike previous four-legged robots, Spot is equipped with an electric motor and battery. This reduces the noise level, but as you can see from the demo video, it does not eliminate it completely. It has smaller dimensions and weight than its predecessors. It most likely can no longer be used as a mule, but the robot is perfect for search and rescue operations.

Like previous robots, it is capable of moving around the terrain. Its small size and electric motor allow it to move inside buildings without causing inconvenience to others. Less weight makes it easier to climb and descend stairs. Just like other robots in this series, it has good stability, to demonstrate which the developers constantly kick it in the official video.

Where there are dogs, there must be cats. The first in the Boston Dynamics feline family is a robot Cheetah . The robot, whose name translates as cheetah, is the champion among robots in speed. During testing, the robot cheetah reached speeds of up to 45.5 km/h. But with such speed, he cannot run far. Because he can only run on a treadmill. The Cheetah does not have its own hydraulic system and is therefore tethered.

A special feature of the company’s entire cat family of robots is its unusually flexible back. It bends back and forth with every step, just like an animal's. This significantly increases speed.

An autonomous version of the Cheetah robot has been named WildCat - wild cat. It is not as fast as its predecessor, its speed reaches only 25.7 km/h, but it has its own power source and is able to move in open areas. He is not a robot mule like the first four-legged robots from Boston Dynamics, but a sprinter scout.

But the wild cat is not the only robot that can be “entrusted” with a reconnaissance operation. The company has smaller machines in its arsenal.

SandFlea - “sand flea”, a small, weighing only five kilograms, robot on four wheels. It resembles a radio-controlled car and that's exactly what it is.

The robot’s peculiarity is its ability to jump to a height of up to 9 meters, which gives it the ability to overcome almost any obstacle. This ability is provided to the robot by a pneumatic device with compressed carbon dioxide, which is enough for about 25 jumps.

A good overview of the area is provided by the camera on board the robot. And the gyroscope ensures stability in flight and during landing.

Another compact robot from the company RHex, introduced in 2012, is also a master at jumping. Like SandFlea, the robot is remotely controlled by an operator using radio control. Unlike other robots, he has six legs, with which he moves unusually, which is why he received the nickname robot cockroach. The robot is completely sealed and is not afraid of water and dirt. Like the “sand flea” it can be used for reconnaissance. Practical range of use is 700 meters within a radius of the operator.

Once upon a time in the process of evolution, a distant ancestor of man stood on two legs. The evolution of Boston Dynamics robots is also following this path. Petman was the company's first bipedal upright robot.

Unlike other designs, it was not designed for outdoor use. The robot is designed to test chemical protective suits. Its task is to simulate a person and provide realistic testing conditions. Much of its technology comes from BigDog.

Atlas! He had to appear sooner or later. A tall anthropomorphic robot with good posture and the ability to move both indoors and outdoors. While humanoid robots from other companies look more like the toy robots from our childhood than people, Atlas looks like a human. Or the Terminator, depending on how optimistic you are about the future.

The first version of the robot was presented in 2013. During its development, Atlas underwent major changes. And most importantly, he was freed from wires. The first version of the robot did not have batteries; all the necessary energy was supplied externally.

The height of the updated robot is about 180 centimeters, it is almost a whole head shorter than its predecessor (this can be clearly seen in the photo above). Weight - 81.5 kilograms.

Like other robots, its head is not designed to “think”, but to house navigation equipment. The robot uses stereoscopic video cameras and LIDAR optical sensors. If you look closely at Google's self-driving cars, you'll see similar ones. In the process of completing a task, Atlas is able to find and distinguish various objects and perform certain actions with them.

If for previously created robots a great achievement was stable walking, then the updated Atlas not only moves, but can perform tasks using its hands. He is able to lift and move objects, including in situations where he is deliberately prevented from doing so.

Boston Dynamics updates Atlas almost every year. If nothing changes, then next year we will see an updated robot with significant improvements. It can be assumed that by next year the company’s engineers will add communication capabilities to its functionality. The robot will speak and be able to recognize faces. This will demonstrate your communication skills with people.

Since this will require a lot of computing power, the robot will probably be “tethered” again. Only now it will be a wireless connection between the robot and a powerful computer that processes the received audio and visual information. If all calculations related to movement and maintaining position in space will be performed by a computer located in the body, body, of the robot, then more complex problems will be solved by a remote “brain”.

It’s hard to say now what the company’s engineers will surprise us with next time. Boston Dynamics doesn't give away much of its secrets. But we can say with confidence that the company’s team, consisting of only 80 employees - engineers, researchers, technicians, who set out to create the most advanced robots in the world, will make our world even more interesting.

Last week, the company once again attracted the attention of many news resources around the world.

On your channel in YouTube with an interval of several days, the Bostonians published two small videos: in the first of them, the dog-like robot SpotMini runs across the yard lawn with ease and unprecedented confidence in its movements, and in the second, the humanoid robot Atlas performs various jumps, including a rather complex acrobatic trick - a somersault back.

The total number of views of both videos is approaching 15 million, and the Atlas gymnastic exercises were watched by more than 6 million people per day. Robotics and advanced technologies are by no means uninteresting to the readers of the site, so in our article today we will try to tell you the entertaining story of the people and robots of Boston Dynamics.

Boston Dynamics was founded by Professor Mark Raibert in 1992. Prior to this, Mark was known as the founder and leading researcher of the Leg Lab ("leg laboratory" - in English) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Laboratory staff were engaged in the research and creation of dynamic machines and mechanisms that move with the help of supporting structures (“legs”) that bend or rotate on a hinge.

In the 1980s, Mark and his team developed a range of "jumpers", "walkers" and "runners" and thereby laid the fundamental foundations for the design of walkers, and Raibert's book on the topic of balancing machines "Legged Robots That Balance" is considered a classic in the field. environment of specialized engineers and scientists.

Mark's interest in robotics arose during his student years and he eventually devoted his entire life to this topic. In his PhD thesis entitled “Motor control and learning by the state space model” (1977), he considered the possibility of using robots to simulate the behavior of biological organisms. Now Mr. Raibert is already 68 years old, however, he remains the president of the company and is actively involved in all projects. Despite his presidential status, Mark prefers Hawaiian shirts to jackets and ties and is a cheerful and sociable person.

Raibert describes the Boston Dynamics team as “just engineers who build robots,” but in fact, the Boston Dynamics' achievements are difficult to underestimate. Each of their creations uses the most advanced technologies from various fields: electrical, mechanical, computer technology, composite materials and so on. Boston Dynamics receives funding for most of its projects from military sources, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), as well as representatives of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Google, which owned Boston Dynamics from 2013 to 2017, once said it was fulfilling its obligations under a contract with DARPA worth $11 million.

It is noteworthy that cooperation with Google did not work out from the very beginning. The corporation bought Boston Dynamics along with nine other robotics companies in 2013, but didn't know what to do with them. “Over time, we all felt a wall of misunderstanding between us and them - we were not part of Google, we were some kind of separate entity,” said one Boston Dynamics employee. Thus, in June 2017, the Japanese telecommunications media corporation SoftBank Group, which has already been noted for the creation of the Pepper robot, announced the acquisition of Boston Dynamics.

BigDog ("big dog")

The very first robot to become widely known was BigDog, a four-legged “mule” designed to transport goods. The US Department of Defense needed a vehicle capable of traveling over rough terrain and carrying heavy equipment. The first BigDog models were created in 2005 and had the following technical characteristics: height 0.76 m, length 0.91 m, weight 110 kg, load capacity up to 155 kg, travel speed 5-7 km/h, ability to overcome slopes up to 35 °, as well as the ability to get down and get up after a fall.

"Big Dog" is a complex autonomous system powered by a 15 hp internal combustion engine and controlled by an on-board computer. The computer processes a large number of sensors, which include position and force sensors in the hinges, contact with the ground, ground load, a gyroscope, lidar, a set of video cameras to create a three-dimensional image of the surrounding world, sensors for pressure, temperature, flow of internal liquids and fuel.

In 2009, the military put forward demands to modernize the robot. The project was called Legged Squad Support System, however, the creators themselves dubbed their brainchild AlphaDog. The load capacity has increased to 185 kg, and the range has exceeded 30 km. And perhaps the most important innovation was the robot’s ability to accept the operator’s voice commands.

AlphaDog was successfully tested with Marines in 2015, however, it was not adopted for service. Among the reasons were the high cost, unmasking noise from the engine and possible problems for the squad if the vehicle breaks down during a combat mission.

The total cost of developing and implementing BigDog and AlphaDog exceeded $42 million. Funding was provided in full by the US Department of Defense.

Cheetah ("cheetah")

The next model can rightfully be considered the fastest walking robot in the world. On the test bench, the Cheetah reached a speed of 29 mph (more than 46 km/h) - no other person in the world can run that fast. Only Usain Bolt reached 44.7 km/h during short periods of his races.

The design of the robot's back follows the structure of that of a living cheetah - it is able to bend forward and backward, increasing the length of the step and the speed of movement. Tellingly, money for the creation of Cheetah was allocated by DARPA under the Maximum Mobility and Manipulation program. In essence, Cheetah is a prototype for testing technologies for creating fast walkers. The robot is not able to move outside the stand.

The development of this platform was another robot called WildCat. It also boasts speed records - the maximum value reaches 32 km/h, which allows it to take first place among autonomous four-legged machines. The robot has considerable dimensions - its height is 1.2 meters and its weight is more than 150 kilograms. The “heart” of the mechanism is the internal combustion engine, which drives the hydraulic system pump.

On the other hand, “Wild Cat” is able to move freely in the surrounding world, and not just on a treadmill.

Like a real horse, WildCat is capable of walking, trotting or galloping. The “wild cat” can bend its back when running, just like animals do.

Sand Flea ("sand flea")

Sand Flea is a compact four-wheel platform. The weight of the machine is about 5.5 kilograms, and the height is only 15 cm. Control occurs via a radio signal or according to an internal program.

A distinctive feature of the Sand Flea is the ability to jump up to 30 feet (9-10 meters), and thereby overcome most obstacles.

The compressed carbon dioxide reserve is enough for about 25 jumps, and the built-in stabilization system maintains orientation during the flight. Several video cameras provide all-round visibility.

Funding for the project is provided by the Army's Rapid Equipping Force (REF) and the US Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratory. As planned, Sand Flea and WildCat are “scouts”, in contrast to the “loader” BigDog.

Spot (“spot” is a dog name in English-speaking countries)

Another four-legged robot called Spot, like its modifications SpotMini and New SpotMini, is a variation of the “dog” series. Compared to BigDog, the cars lost their internal combustion engine and acquired an electric motor with hydraulic drive and a battery. This decision had a negative impact on autonomy and load capacity, but made it possible to significantly reduce the noise level.

Spot can navigate indoors and outdoors, as well as use stairs and overcome low obstacles. The height of the machine is about 1 meter, weight 75 kg. The maximum payload is 45 kg, in addition, Spot is capable of carrying a load weighing 23 kg for 45 minutes on a single battery charge. The robot has good stability and is able to stand on its feet after pokes and kicks from its creators.

SpotMini is a smaller version of the Spot model and, according to Boston Dynamics engineers, is intended for the office or home. It weighs 25 kg (30 kg with the manipulator arm).

SpotMini can operate for about 90 minutes from the built-in battery, depending on the load it carries, which “according to the passport” is 14 kg. At the same time, SpotMini is the quietest robot created by the company.

SpotMini's manipulator arm has five degrees of freedom and is capable of collecting and carrying various objects. The set of sensors that ensure the correct operation of the manipulator includes stereo cameras, depth sensors, IMU sensors, and position and force sensors in the limbs.

Atlas (“Atlant, Titan”)

Without a doubt, the most interesting thing for the average person is an anthropomorphic robot named Atlas. Boston Dynamics specialists say that Atlant is the most advanced model in the line of modern humanoid robots. Its height is 1.5 meters, weight 75 kg, its design uses 28 joints, which is twice as many as the “cat” and “dog” series. The robot is capable of carrying a weight of about 10-11 kg in its hands.

The Atlas control system coordinates the movements of the arms, torso and legs to provide full-body control, allowing it to operate over a large range while occupying only a small area. Stereo vision, rangefinders, gyroscopes and other sensors give Atlas the ability to manipulate objects in the environment and travel over rough terrain. Atlas maintains its balance when carrying a load or being hit and can stand up if it falls.

In the future, developers are considering adding communication abilities to the robot. Atlas can learn to speak and recognize people by their faces and voices. Tellingly, the founder of Boston Dynamics, Mark Raibert, is not a supporter of the mass use of humanoid robots. He believes that making a robot similar to a human is only worthwhile if such an action is appropriate. For example, as is the case with the PETMAN model, which was developed by Boston Dynamics to test chemical protective suits and military protective clothing.

First Atlas robot prototype

PETMAN simulates human physiology and controls temperature, humidity and perspiration inside the garment to provide realistic testing conditions. The robot is equipped with built-in sensors that detect any chemicals flowing through the suit.

Developments are being carried out within the framework of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) of the US Department of Defense (DoD).

Handle

The model, called Handle, combines the advantages of having a robot with “arms” and “legs” with the speed and efficiency of wheels. It uses many of the same principles of dynamics, balance and object manipulation used in Boston Dynamics' quadruped and bipedal robots. Its design uses only 10 hinges, which makes the Handle less complex than other models. The wheels allow you to ride quickly on flat surfaces, while your feet can go almost anywhere.

Handle is 2 meters high and weighs more than 100 kilograms. The robot is capable of carrying loads of up to 45 kilograms and jumping over tall objects.

The hydraulics are driven by an electric motor, which is powered by a battery. The model is able to turn around on the spot, squat and stand up.

RHex

RHex, or “robot cockroach” as its developers have nicknamed it, is compact in size and moves with the help of six unusual legs. The height of the model is 14 centimeters, weight 12 kg, and is controlled via a radio signal. RHex is capable of carrying up to 2 kg of useful weight, which can be used to install additional equipment. The robot is also equipped with built-in video cameras in the front and back of the body, which makes it a good scout.

The sealed housing allows the “cockroach” to move in a humid environment, swampy and dirty areas, and in sewer pipes. Thanks to the structure of its legs, the model easily overcomes rocks, sand, vegetation, railway tracks, stairs and other obstacles.

Battery life is four to five hours. The robot was developed by order of DARPA and the US Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF).

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We looked at the main models of robots from the American company Boston Dynamics. We hope that the team of “Bostonians”, by the way consisting of 80 employees, will not rest on their laurels and will continue to introduce robots into critical areas of our lives. If we do not take into account the military sphere, which, by the way, is the main sponsor of the development of robotics, then in the future robots will be able to provide great assistance to people as firefighters, rescuers, astronauts, personal assistants and other human assistants.

His new robot - the four-legged SpotMini. In less than a day, it went viral on social networks and received more than a million views on YouTube alone.

Rusbase decided to recall how the model range of the world leader in robotics developed.

The history of Boston Dynamics can be dated back to 1977. Then its future creator and president Marc Raibert substantiated in his dissertation the design of limbs ideal for robot movement. Subsequently, this work became the basis for many of the company's developments. Raibert launched Boston Dynamics in 1992 with a group of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The company first became famous in 2005 when it introduced its four-legged robot BigDog to the general public. It was developed by order of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

In 2013, Google bought Boston Dynamics for $500 million. This spring, the corporation decided to sell the engineering company. The media explained her disappointment by the fact that Boston Dynamics could not quickly release a commercially successful product. According to rumors, Toyota and Amazon are considering buying the company.

BigDog

The American army needed a robot that would help soldiers carry equipment where wheeled or tracked vehicles could not pass. BigDog is capable of carrying a load of up to 150 kg at speeds of up to 6.4 km/h. The robot was unique in its stability - it can climb slopes of up to 35 degrees.

The BigDog's main drawback was its very noisy engine. It was not possible to solve the noise problem; in 2015, the company abandoned further development of this model. But the developments incorporated in BigDog are used in other Boston Dynamics robots.

Spot

Another dog-shaped robot from Boston Dynamics is Spot. It is smaller and quieter than its predecessor, although no less stable. Unlike BigDog, Spot is powered by an electric motor and battery. It is not suitable for the role of a cargo robot, but it can be used for search operations.

Cheetah

Cheetah (English cheetah) started the "cat" line in Boston Dynamics products. Its development was also funded by DARPA. It reaches speeds of up to 45.06 km/h (a record for 2012) due to its flexible back. But he couldn’t run far because he was powered by a stationary hydraulic installation.

WildCat

A year later, the company introduced an autonomous version of the Cheetah robot - WildCat (English wild cat). This is a reconnaissance sprinter that reaches speeds of up to 25.7 km/h and, unlike its predecessor, can move across open terrain.

SandFlea

SandFlea (English sand flea) is a radio-controlled 5-kilogram robot on four wheels that can jump to a height of up to 9 meters. It works using a pneumatic device with compressed carbon dioxide, which is enough for 25 jumps. It overcomes obstacles well and can be used for reconnaissance.

RHex

RHex has been nicknamed the “robot cockroach” because it has six legs. This is also a radio-controlled reconnaissance robot that can operate within a radius of 700 meters from the operator. Has a completely sealed housing.

RiSE

RiSE is a six-legged robot weighing 2 kg that can climb walls and trees at a speed of 30 cm per second. Another development for DARPA.

Petman

Petman (English: domestic man) is the first anthropomorphic robot from Boston Dynamics. Designed for realistic testing of chemical protective suits.

Atlas

Atlas is an advanced upright robot that can move over rough terrain. Its first version was presented in 2013, the updated version was presented in February of this year. Not only resistant to falls, but also uses free hands to perform tasks (such as carrying a load). Atlas height is about 180 cm, weight is 81.5 kg.

SpotMini

SpotMini is a smaller version of the Spot model weighing 25 kg. The robot is completely electric, making it the quietest in the Boston Dynamics line. The battery charge lasts for 90 minutes. He knows how to serve beer, throw out garbage and (what most touched the audience) slip on banana peels.

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Watching how rapidly the robots produced by Boston Dynamics evolve is a very exciting experience. With each new demonstration, engineers surprise us with increasingly sophisticated tricks that they teach their mechanical creatures. Thus, the SpotMini robot not only learned to open locked doors, but also acquired an additional limb and is now able to act together with other robots.

MIT engineers reported on their new achievement in robotics. Their four-legged robot Cheetah, created in the image and likeness of a real cheetah, has learned to stand up on its own and... do a backflip! From the outside it looks simply incredible, considering that a few years ago this would have been difficult to imagine. Earlier, the same robot broke the speed record set by Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, accelerating to 45.5 kilometers per hour.

In the three-minute video, robots imitate various human actions - walking on a flat surface, doing push-ups, climbing stairs, overcoming an obstacle course and walking over large stones. The soundtrack to the video was the song Push It to The Limit, which was heard in the famous film “Scarface”.

The video fragments themselves are not new, but overall the video turned out to be very impressive thanks to the successful combination of music and video.

Let us recall that in recent years Boston Dynamics engineers have also presented a whole series of robotic animals on four legs, and in January this line was replenished with a relatively compact robot named Spot. The robot weighs only 72 kg and runs on electricity, recharging while moving. Built-in sensors allow it to react sensitively to obstacles, restore balance and interact with a person.