Lift with your legs! BigDog robot learns to throw cinder blocks using whole body, not just the arm

Boston Dynamics' BigDog rough-terrain robot just got even more terrifying, with the addition of a front-mounted arm that lets it toss around cinderblocks like soda cans. To get the job done, the 240-pound quadruped uses the same approach as human athletes, recruiting the strength in its legs and torso to power the throw.




The new addition is just the latest in a long list of superpowers, including the ability to run at four miles per hour, climb slopes up to 35 degrees, and maintain balance on terrain ranging from slick ice to mud, snow, and rubble — even when subjected to punishing kicks, as shown in the bottom video. Now, armed with this newfound throwing capability, there’s little separating BigDog from its cousin, Dog from Half-Life 2.

source: The VErge