THOR- robotic first responder.

[9D4]

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2012/10/102412-engineering-thorrobotannouncement.html
Stumbled onto this article today. Supposedly it was going to done in late December, but I can't find anything else on the final results.
What do you guys think of it, though? From the video it doesn't look real promising, but still kinda amazing.
This site has a video of it:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/25/3552752/darpa-boston-dynamics-atlas-pet-proto-robot

 

[Veneficus]

Waste of money.

 

[lawndartcatcher]

Oh, good...let's take an already terrifying event and add this:

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I think it's good stuff. But I'm a Heinlein fan... So the sci fi/technology aspect appeals to me.

 

[mycrofft]

I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you over the noise. When did your symptoms start...start...startartartststststststart?

 

[NomadicMedic]

Seems like it's more of a "go into the hazmat scene and turn off the valve" kind of thing, as opposed to the "how long have you had this chest pain?"

 

[Veneficus]

Seems like it's more of a "go into the hazmat scene and turn off the valve" kind of thing, as opposed to the "how long have you had this chest pain?"

When I read it, it seemed like the go in and collapse the building on itself and the supposedly "alive" victim because it was too dangerous to risk killing the rescuer and the victim.

I rate it right up there with using heavy machinery to rescue somebody from a trench.