»» Columnists

CNN’s Report On The Military’s ‘Mule Robot’ Will Haunt Your Nightmares

video

by James Crugnale | 5:04 pm, February 8th, 2012

» 17 comments

Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori once made the observation that “the more humanlike his robots became, the more people were attracted to them, but only up to a point. If an android become too realistic and lifelike, suddenly people were repelled and disgusted.” Henceforth, the concept of uncanny valley came into our public consciousness. Perfectly illustrating this concept, CNN presents us with a disturbing news report introducing us to “the mule robot” — not a Tim Burton movie, but in fact, a DARPA invention that can carry heavy equipment for US troops.

“It can walk or whatever you call that,” CNN Newsroom anchor Brooke Baldwin quipped.

On CNN.com, Jennifer Rizzo describes the features of the, er — creature:

Designed to carry 400 pounds of equipment, travel up to 20 miles at a time, and move at speeds as fast as 10 mph, the LS3 is meant to fit into a Marine or Army unit in a “natural way,” the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said in a news release.

I call it nightmare fuel — and so does the rest of the Abrams Media office, who stopped what they were doing and let out a collective “what the what?” Instead of handling heavy payloads, perhaps we should sic it on Taliban fighters — because it would be super effective…and now, I need to start thinking happy thoughts.

Watch the segment — if you dare — via CNN below:

Brooke Baldwin, CNN, mules, nightmares, robots, uncanny valley

http://twitter.com/MinneMike Michael Wiley

Like the commercial application this poses: hauling beer kegs?
12voltman1

What a Japanese robot that isn’t a female replication that can speak like it belongs in the Hall of Presidents. Didn’t know thay made anything else.
Chappel User

We had a couple of devices that performed similar tasks when I was in the Army. One we called a “jeep” and the other we called a “truck”.
Anonymous

Aren’t nightmares already haunted?
Anonymous

‘Mule Robot’

Do this is what the typical Democrat will look like come the next evolutionary cycle. Interesting.
lazzzlo

Will it follow the “Three Laws of Robotics”?
Anonymous

yes but it’s from japan so the three laws will be:
1. Kill
2. Lazer beams
3. Explosions
Anonymous

I saw this segment yesterday. I though it was probably just me who found the “thing” a little creepy. The legs are like Rottweiler meets horse meets tarantula. But I am certainly happy for our forces to have all the help they can get – anything to lessen their burden is fantastic!
http://www.facebook.com/matthew.minard Matthew Minard

and how much did the taxpayers spend developing this POS?…
Чёрт Возьми

Noise problem.
Anonymous

I’ll bet robo-mule is already booked on Dancing With the Stars.
Anonymous

Creepy … warhawks watch alot of Terminator flicks, don’t they … wonder when they’ll turn this loose on us, here at home? If they’re forced to stop their wars, for lack of funds, they’ll be selling to state police departments and Homeland Security … believe that.
http://www.facebook.com/chasrmartin Charlie Martin

Good Lord.

(1) It’s cool. You folks are being silly.
(2) real grunts will just be thrilled to have something to carry all the crap they’re hauling on their backs now.
(3) six weeks after being deployed, every one of them will have a name, a hat or saddle blanket, and someone will be observed getting misty-eyed when their mule is taken out by a mine.
Anonymous

Now I know where Mitt Romney and Al Gore come from!
Anonymous

Ohh, and such heavy burdens they have. TV’s, cell-phones, comp gadgets, etc.
Anonymous

Now all they need is someone clapping two halves of a coconut together and skipping along side the mule-bot.
Anonymous

You did see it walking up a hill through terrain that a Jeep might not make.