

Boston Dynamics Big Dog Weaponized. Now in Trials with Marines. - 23david
http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2013/11/massive-robot-could-soon-join-marines-battlefield/74285/

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melling
Badly editorialized title. Big Dog has not been weaponized.

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dm2
From the Boston Dynamics YouTube channel:

BigDog Weaponized -
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptyV1cpE14o](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptyV1cpE14o)

BigDog throwing cinderblocks -
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jvLalY6ubc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jvLalY6ubc)

It's only a matter of time before it gets a machine-gun or grenade launcher
attached.

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melling
Sure, and on that day someone will write a story with that headline. As of
today, it isn't and the HN title is wrong.

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dm2
If you run over someone with a vehicle then you are using your vehicle as a
weapon, same with throwing a cinderblock or having BigDog kick an enemy.

My point was that the headline was technically correct.

I'd be willing to bet that they're absolutely not allowed to show the BigDog
or a similar animal-like robot with a machine-gun mounted to it. That's why
there was the "teaser" video with the bull horns.

Numerous robots have had machine-guns and grenade launchers attached to them,
it would be trivial to attach one to the BigDog platform.

It would be cool to use as a distraction as well. If the BigDog was heavily
armored and sent out to draw fire. If the BigDog ran up to an enemy and kicked
them or threw a cinderblock at them, that would be a pretty effective weapon
(from a psychological and physical standpoint), with no gun required.

