Video of Boston Dynamics’ PETMAN in action

Boston Dynamics just released a new video of their robot PETMAN. The robot was funded by the Department of Defense to test the performance of protective clothing designed for hazardous environments. Importance is given to mimicking human-like motions and body-like conditions (sweating and temperature) to make sure the clothing is resistant. Sensors on the “skin” of PETMAN, beneath the suit, are able to detect chemical leaks.

It’s impressive to see how smooth the motions have become over the past year-and-a-half. You can see an older version of the robot below.

Boston Dynamics is an expert in engineering highly dynamic robots that require integrating information from numerous sensors and actuators. I’ve added other videos of their robots below, including Big Dog and Cheetah.

Sabine Hauert is President of Robohub and Associate Professor at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory

Sabine Hauert is President of Robohub and Associate Professor at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory