Video: Two-legged robot can do push-ups and sweat
The Petman is buff by robot standards. The Terminator-like robot, made by Boston Dynamics, is the first to walk like a human.
But it doesn't stop there - Petman can walk, kneel, do push-ups, and even break a sweat.
Petman was designed to test out chemical and biohazard suits for the US Army, to make sure clothing doesn't rip during exposure to dangerous substances. Unlike previous methods that depend on stress tests to check protective clothing, the humanoid robot provides a more realistic situation for testing how the clothing fairs under strenuous exercise.
It's not slow, either. It walks at a pace of 4.4 miles per hour. And it has a pretty sturdy sense of balance.
Check out the video of the robot in action:
The Petman certainly brings back memories of T-1000 cyborg in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
The robot, according to IEEE Spectrum, was modeled after the dimensions of a 50th percentile male, which comes out to be about 180 pounds and about 6 feet. Just as physical activity might make a guy that size break a sweat, the robot must be able to do so too. The robot was made to simulate sweating and changes in skin temperature - all based on how much the humanoid robot is working out.
The project is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and will cost $26.3 million to build. While the robot's main job at first will be testing clothing, it may move onto more dangerous jobs like working in a nuclear reactor.
Boston Dynamics recently announced another robot called AlphaDog, which resembles its famous quadruped robot BigDog.
Photos via Boston Dynamics or IEEE Spectrum.
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com