STriDER: Virginia Tech's creepy, three-legged bot

Apparently, robot designers are worried that they're not creating automatons that are creepy enough, because a team of engineers at Virgina Tech have put something together that will give even the toughest of men chills. The robot in question is the three-legged STriDER (Self-excited Tripedal Dynamic Experimental Robot, not to be confused with CMU's Strider) which balances itself on two legs and then flips its body 180-degrees, bringing its third leg forward with the motion. According to project leader Dennis Hong, "STriDER's gait is closer to that of a human walking than most bipedal humanoid robots you see today," adding, "This is how we humans walk, we do not actively control our knees, we just let them swing." It does seem to be true, as the robot has an eerily life-like quality to its movements. Don't believe us? Take a look at the video after the break and see the tripod in action.

[Kris S. @ Sep 20th 2007 5:28PM]

I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.

[Michael @ Sep 20th 2007 8:15PM]

This ranks up there with 'All Your Base' and '(anything) 2: Electric Bugaloo' as the most unfunny and overused catchphrases on the internet. Please refrain.

[steve @ Sep 20th 2007 8:17PM]

In soviet russia, the internet overuses YOU.

[vagrantA @ Sep 20th 2007 8:36PM]

I agree Michael. As for Kris S, please, its so played out. everytime there is a robot story there is always one nerd who thinks they are hilarious by starting their comment off with "I for one". ENOUGH!

[Kris S. @ Sep 20th 2007 9:28PM]

Exactly, which is why I used it and I got the response I would expect from you guys!

[Timerider @ Sep 21st 2007 11:56AM]

Finally, someone says something about that overused phrase. I was going to before.

[Pete @ Sep 21st 2007 1:45PM]

As a new reader I must say, Hah! I haven't heard that before, and it made me laugh.

[James @ Sep 21st 2007 2:17PM]

Jesus, have you heathens never heard the phrase "kitsch" before? I'm *straight* and I still appreciate the basic concept. First, it was funny because it was funny. Then, it was stupid because it was cliche. Now, it's funny again because it's used ironically in reference to the time when it was cliched. I'm not sure if ironic use eventually becomes stupid/cliched as well, but if any phrase is a candidate for us to find out about, "I for one" makes the cut.

[rockintom @ Sep 21st 2007 3:54PM]

You, for one, suck.

[enjoi @ Sep 20th 2007 5:30PM]

that thing looks like a giant spider.

[erndub @ Sep 20th 2007 8:03PM]

erm... dont spiders have 8 legs?

[haritori @ Sep 21st 2007 7:29AM]

only when i havent pulled 5 off!

[Chird @ Sep 21st 2007 8:45AM]

It actually looks more...like a strider. Like from Halflife 2. And they seemed to have tried REALLY hard to find an acronym that would spell that. Source of inspiratrion perhaps? (pun intended)

[Daniel @ Sep 21st 2007 1:02PM]

I know they are trying to do some more biologically correct walking, but "swinging" knees has been done by Cornell in a bipedal walker already. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~shc/robots.html

[McGinley @ Sep 20th 2007 5:31PM]

Thats 2 consecutive posts about things bearing a curious resemblance to things from half life...

[Elliott @ Sep 20th 2007 5:51PM]

hmmm, I think Engadget is trying to tell us Gorden Freeman was right all along.

[MARSHAK @ Sep 20th 2007 11:33PM]

virginia tech = combine? w/e. ill join the CP's.

[vb @ Sep 20th 2007 5:33PM]

Now just make it about 10x bigger and put a machine gun on top and then we can all move to City 17 to have a great life.

[StreetStealth @ Sep 21st 2007 1:32AM]

Quick, someone check the VT faculty directory... There wouldn't happen to be a Dr. Breen in residence, would there?

[Evan @ Sep 20th 2007 5:33PM]

Aim your RPG at the body.

[NaeemTHM @ Sep 20th 2007 5:55PM]

First "Dog" now the StriDER?

*grabs gravity gun*

BRING IT OOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!

[octoberasian @ Sep 20th 2007 6:59PM]

Screw the Gravity Gun, I have my trusty Crowbar with me! LOL

[zfurie @ Sep 20th 2007 5:35PM]

Mas Que Droga?!?

Is everyone trying to build Real-Life Half-Life 2 critters? First the robot dog that looks more like those ground hugging creatures and now a baby strider?

Anyone planning to make a gravity gun?

[inlogic @ Sep 20th 2007 5:36PM]

I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.

[insertAlias @ Sep 20th 2007 5:41PM]

You're only a few posts late....

[GazzyC @ Sep 20th 2007 6:13PM]

I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.I for one, welcome our robotic overlords.

[Christian Torkelson @ Sep 20th 2007 5:41PM]

yeah really, they must have had Half Life 2 in mind when naming this thing.

[Anwa123 @ Sep 20th 2007 5:44PM]

Now all we have to do is shrink em down to size, let em loose on tom cruise, and call it a day.

[Kade Miller @ Sep 20th 2007 5:54PM]

Okay, that is GOLD!

[beyond vision @ Sep 20th 2007 5:49PM]

Hokie Pride, bitches

[bwkitty @ Sep 20th 2007 7:18PM]

rawr to that. go hokies!

[Robert @ Sep 20th 2007 8:00PM]

I'll be in that lab tomorrow. My fingers are crossed that it'll be out.

[Brian @ Sep 20th 2007 5:50PM]

Not on comment on the popular strider?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_humanoid_and_synthetic_Combine_in_Half-Life_2#Strider

[joe23521 @ Sep 20th 2007 5:55PM]

I would smash that thing so hard if it ever came within 15 feet of me.

[Dave Q @ Sep 20th 2007 6:01PM]

Can you say HL2?

[Samurai Jack @ Sep 20th 2007 6:27PM]

Dr. Zin would be so proud! Now all you need is a high-tech air/space craft to fly it around.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 20th 2007 6:34PM]

Pfft.

Doesn't even LOOK like me. :p

[granny down east @ Sep 20th 2007 7:22PM]

I wondered if you'd chime in ...
I am sure you are much better at walking, too.

[DickHardknocks @ Sep 20th 2007 8:18PM]

Striders were so cool when they used their WARP CANNON. That thing scared the shit outta me.

[bryanthornsberry @ Sep 20th 2007 8:40PM]

Lets see tom selleck get away from THIS one.

[Bryan Thornsberry @ Sep 20th 2007 8:41PM]

Lets see tom selleck get away from THIS one.

[Bryan Thornsberry @ Sep 20th 2007 8:42PM]

hm. come to find out when you post something twice, it shows up twice. just sayin...

[LondonConsultant @ Sep 20th 2007 8:49PM]

Do people really think that's real?! The robot exists only as a computer simulation, even in the "real" section of the clip. Computer graphics are just blended onto background footage using match moving...

[aaronlh @ Sep 20th 2007 9:09PM]

http://www.dotstrosity.net/humor/Shopped.png

[Aaron @ Sep 20th 2007 9:10PM]

Addendum: Did you even watch the video?

[BradVT @ Sep 20th 2007 11:46PM]

This robot does exist as I've seen it in person. They even developed a really cool way to make it all run off of one motor.

[RoMeLaVT @ Sep 21st 2007 11:08AM]

No CG... The white dots seems to be from the video encoding. Original higher resolution movie clip at . Will keep it there for only a week...

[Jdrake @ Sep 20th 2007 9:03PM]

Too late for it to overpower cho with a laser of hot screaming death

[Ed @ Sep 20th 2007 9:28PM]

I for one, welcome our HALF-LIFE 2 overlords.

[LondonConsultant @ Sep 20th 2007 9:29PM]

Yes, I did watch the video. I suspect the tripod is transported in http://youtube.com/watch?v=YdyQu5Zx8xw