Robo-mule: The military's rugged new wilderness beast
Thanks to a sure-footed mechanical pack animal, U.S. troops could soon shed their bulky backpacks as they trek through treacherous terrain

The video: Move over, Petman. The military has a new walking robot: The LS3 (Legged Squad Support System), a big, fast, "rugged" machine that can carry more than 400 pounds of supplies (without refueling) over 20 miles of tough terrain where wheels wouldn't cut it. The robo-mule, designed by the government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is equipped with sensors that allow it to auto-correct its balance. (Watch a video below.) The machine's creators say they'll soon teach their robotic pack animal how to understand spoken commands like "stop," "sit," and "come here" — and hopefully deploy it on field exercises with Marines within two years.
The reaction: This isn't the prettiest "war horse" I've ever seen, says Tim Hornyak at CNET. "Megatron looks beautiful by comparison." And it's not "exactly ready for live action in its current state," says Ray Walters at Geek.com. The robo-mule prototype is brutally loud, making it awfully "hard for a unit of soldiers to not give away their position to the enemy when using it." But hey, at least it has a mobile charging station for radio equipment, phones, and iPods. "Fortunate Son," anyone? Take a look:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The key financial dates to prepare for in 2025
The Explainer Discover the main money milestones that may affect you in the new year
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 19, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Codeword: December 19, 2024
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published