DARPA's donkey to be the Big Dog on the battlefield

What do you call something with four legs than can carry a lot of weight up rugged terrain? The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency calls it the LS3, for Legged Squad Support System. The robotic mule, dubbed "Big Dog", is under development at DARPA. Officials hope the resulting contraption will lighten the load of individual soldiers, who often carry between 50 and 100 pounds on their backs. Program manager for the LS3, Dr. Robert Mandelbaum, explains how the Big Dog will hunt.

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