A soldier's new best friend: BigDog robotic military pack-mule

BigDog is a robot controlled by an on-board computer developed by Boston Dynamics, along with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for the future military use to carry supplies for soldiers across uneven terrain that wheeled vehicles cannot easily negotiate and a range of weather conditions, including snow. Funding is through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

BigDog stands about 2.5 (0.76) feet high by three feet long (0.91 m) long, weighs 240 pounds (110 kg), and can carry up to 400 pounds of supplies or equipment up inclines up to 35 degrees. Most remarkably, it can regain its footing after being pushed and its independently placed  feet allow it to negotiate narrow and difficult terrain. An 18 month testing period will begin this summer, prior to use by troops in the field.