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A robotic dog developed for the US army has become an internet star.  

By Jon Swaine
Last Updated: 9:08PM BST 06 Sep 2008

Meet Big Dog, a canine robot that could be used by American troops to transport supplies over rough terrain. ; http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid14886553
67/bctid1772859863 http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=11390536
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Video footage of BigDog, which has been built to carry equipment and march alongside troops in rough terrain such as in Iraq, has attracted millions of viewers.

The robot, which is described as its creators as the "alpha male" of robotic animals, is about the size of a Great Dane. It runs at 4 mph and can hold a 24-stone load. However its makers, Boston Dynamics, have claimed that it will soon be succeeded by an even faster, stronger model.

A computerised brain sits at its core, and controls a small petrol engine which drives its aluminium legs. Each of the legs features three joints that can be repositioned 500 times every second, meaning the robot can even withstand a hefty blow to its body.

Marc Raibert, the president of Boston Dynamics, said: "Internal force sensors detect the ground variations and compensate for them. And BigDog's active balance allows it to maintain stability when we disturb it."

Current models of BigDog are remote-controlled from army bases by commanders. However it is thought that future versions will be built with eye-like sensors that allow it to become "unleashed" by making intelligent decisions about a journey.

The project was sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is responsible for coming up with radical inventions for the military.

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