Prepare for the Robopocalypse

Did I say overlords? I meant protectors.....

Look at those creepy spindly legs...

I thought that was two people bent over and walking around for at least half the video... Didn't realize it was a robot until I saw it inside that lab

It looks like a drunk horse with no legs, especially when it slipped on the ice. I laughed, until I remembered that it's a robot, and it was able to correct itself.

Just needs a cupholder. Might as well serve drinks to people if it's walking around like that.

If they ever make a version that can transport people, I would kill to be able to commute to work in that thing wearing a riding habit.

Wow. I think perhaps I said "Holy Shit" about 10 times watching that.

That is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.

That totally reminded me of the Land Striders from The Dark Crystal. Now I desperately want The Henson Company to use a couple of them for the sequel.

(Re more bad news here) -- "Why would they want to hurt us? We built them! Well, at least the alpha models" reminds me weirdly of "government of the people, by the people, for the people." Not sure why.

The best part is that it sounds like DEATH BEES.

I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords. Might I remind them that under their wise rule they will need engineers still.

I felt sorry for it when the guy tried to kick it over. Then I realized that's how it starts! First, the robots get you to feel sorry for them. Then, they get you to love them. Then you can't get them to vacuum or make a decent cup of tea. Then, they take over the world. And, you're stuck in a tube of goo with a data port in the back of your skull!

Wait a minute! How do we know this hasn't already happened?!!

With a well-placed set of cinder blocks, you could probably slow it down enough to run away. Either that, or you could throw a block at it. It seems to be somewhat vulnerable to projectiles, and despite its surprising level of balance, it still seems likely that it can be knocked over with sufficient force. (I hope the makers aren't reading this, because they'll engineer out those weaknesses...)

That thing is freaking me out and the Blair Witch Cam isn't helping.

Alright, well thanks for that.

I'm sure that thing and the terrifying buzzing sound it makes will be haunting my dreams for the next couple of months.

Yep, all you will hear is that buzzing. Then the pounding at the door and finally the screams as they stomp people to death.

So as I said, thanks for that.

Reminds me of the "chevalines" from Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age.

The unnerving feeling I get from looking at those creepy semi-human legs is something that feels like it might be well described in lyrical verse. Jonathan?

I'd much rather wait for Robo-Calypso. But with those clumsy legs that wish will remain in Limbo. for now.

OMG!!! I thought it was a dog in a bee costume the first minute(must have been the buzzing sound)......Freaked me out when I saw it was a robot that corrected itself......And I agree, a cup holder would be nice.

I saw that a few days ago. It's so awesome.

Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.

JC:

Write a song about this robot, that would be cool.

This looks like something you'd see in the Silent Hill series of video games. THE BUZZING! THE BUZZING!

Yeah, but all Luke sSkywalker has to go is fly around its legs a few times & tangle them up with that wire that he shoots out of his x-wing and then it'll come crashing to the ground. Right?

Too much pony, not enough monkey.

wow. that was by far the strangest thing I've seen this week. I thought it was amazing and more than a bit creepy. The husband thinks it's the coolest thing ever. As he put it, "It looks like it's alive!"

Gah!

I think you could outrun it if you threw quicksand in front of it or maybe a river.

yeah honestly that is -so- Silent Hill. They need to build a dozen of these and shoot a horror movie. Imagine the noise that a dozen of these would make... That would scare the shit out of me.

http://www.nerdyshirts.com/product-info.php?Funny-T-Shirts_RoboShake-pid167.html

Time for me to buy that shirt.....

Even though that thing is HUGELY creepy, I couldn't help but laugh when I watched it slip on the ice. Also, thank you Zac for the SNL robot insurance commercial reference. I laughed even harder.

That's awesome. I knew the future would include drunken, stumbling robots. Yessssssssss

That's awesome. I want one now.

The engineers on that project? Sarah Conner needs to kill them. Seriously.

The husband says it moves like a happy deer. And he laughed when it slipped on the ice, too. I cringed as slipping like that would have resulted in injured joints. Maybe they'll use that technology for prosthetics, too. At least some good could come of this.

The buzzing sounds *exactly* like those creepy flying bots from BioShock. Eeeeeeeek.

Someone needs to redub the sound on that video so that the robot says, "But I loved you," when the guy tries to kick it over.

And now I'm off to change my underwear...

Wow! He's the ugly brother of the hunters in HL2 Ep2!

Nice machine!

@Demetrius -
I am reminded of Phol's Midas World. Sure, robots can do everything, but then what do we do?

Whenever I see something like this I have to wonder "What are they *thinking*? Don't these people watch ANY science fiction???" It's obvious that we won't be happy until the Giant Metal Santas come for us. Hell, I don't even like the talking Coke machines. ;)

New at the high-end of the Skullcrusher Mountain product line, the half-pony half-monkey monster. Coming soon, for those of you on a budget: the half-pony half-banana monster.

Argh I meant to say half-pony half-robot monster for the first one... force of habit.

I have to say that I am SCARED of that thing.

I thought it was two guys for the first couple seconds, too.

Wouldn't it be scary if all of our awesome singer-songwriters were replaced with robots like those? They would be singing 'Better' while their own machinery hummed and buzzed like killer bees.

My sister liked the slow-mo parts. It was funny watching it slip on the ice. I never have that much fun in winter!

Lol, I keep thinking about Laura hearing the whirr of the servos inside when I watch this hahaha.

It's gonna be the future soon!

METAL GEAR!?!

I was shocked at how realistic it acted! Especially when it slipped/was pushed. Simply marvelous.

That is one annoying dog. If any dog that sounds, walks, self-corrects or jumps like that comes near me, it's going to get the Old Yeller treatment.

Big Dog kicks ass - but still creeps me out. At first I thought it was some crazy Mummenschanz (sp?) people with packs on their heads.

/me cancels his cinder block delivery to northern Canada.

For those who were laughing when it slipped on the ice. We're you still laughing when it got back up?

this is no where near as scary/creepy but it's cool as hell and more than a little cute.

Yellow drum machine robot - http://letsmakerobots.com/node/112

There's also this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=n01ovVt9ESk

I realised it wasn't two people in black leotards about the point where it got kicked. I totally glossed over the idea of it taking over the world (silly, I know, but I welcome robotic overlords so I have nothing to fear). Then got really excited about the prosthetics possibilities - especially if they team up with someone like Segway - who built a wheelchair that can climbs stairs.

Speaking of whirring servos and robot apocalypse, Florida can has hovering police drones? http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080326/tc_nm/usa_security_drones_dc;_ylt=An3Ghypk.YkMMEMlTbPfLn6s0NUE

I'm just glad that, for now, they're at least not going to be able to sneak up on us.

How long till the researchers put a torso on that thing and turn it into a minotaur? ...with a machine gun.

Somehow I find the idea of robotic mythological creatures slightly more terrifying than naked cyborgs with European accents.

I guess I meant centaur. I tend to get all those man-beast hybrids a little mixed up.

Dude, that thing is amazing. It looks alive.

First I thought it was a cute little dog-size thing negotiating some slopes, although I wondered about all the lawnmower/chainsaw noise, but then I saw that it reaches that guy's chest (hence BigDog) and -- OH GOD he kicked it sideways and it freakin adjusted itself... The rest of the clip I could only see a headless zombie horse stumbling around.
Also the last part with the jumping surprised me, especially it's speed.

This has been one of my favorite videos for the last few months.

I keep imagining seeing one of those things, maybe with some cosmetic additions to make it look more like a living thing, coming after me in the woods, and me leaving a trail of piss behind me as a run screaming.

Gotta love it.

There are several more videos... it can leap over gaps, climb, react to interference... and this is just the current model! Check out some of BD's other stuff. When they start combining all this technology... watch out, Humankind! Your days are numbered!

what are they thinking? how can any of it benefit humans--i guess sooner or later we will end up being killed by robots because of crazy people like them who wont leave well enough alone---they might just be movies--but all the robot killing people movies have way too much possible truth to them dont you think? why push toward that at all? Hello!

Wholly Donkey Balls!!!

You think that was scary, look at this one! http://tinyurl.com/2unkum
It will make you fall out of your chair!

So, where's safe then? Underwater? The sky? Spcae labs in space? Or... on farms, surounded by cattle grids! (It's a Mini adventure. Brits should get me.)

Forgive me my typos. Horsebots are eating my brains.

They have already deployed an armed tracked robot and are working on a more advanced wheeled version that could be either armed or just used for cargo. 1700 of them, half of them armed, with first operational readiness by 2014. There would be 1 robot per 29 people in a brigade.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4252643.html

I suspect if BigDog is ready around the same time, or a bit later, the combined robot/human US force would be as much psychological warfare as anything if one were to witness it marching by. If they get 72 virgins for blowing up an infidel, do they get 72 laptops for blowing up a BigDog? I suspect for this reason alone, collapsing the Jihadist mentality, you may see all-robot platoons operating under remote supervision. Then things really get scary.