The video clip's caption:
BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics family of robots. It is a quadruped robot that walks, runs, and climbs on rough terrain and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog's legs are articulated like an animal's, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule, measuring 1 meter long, 0.7 meters tall and 75 kg weight.
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] | Boston Dynamics website - via GromBlog
HAHAHAHAHA.
It's a pretty cool machine, but it's so damn loud.
The robot has good balance... no need to be violent with it just to prove that point. Send him down a ravine or something to see how he can fall back on his feets.
in other news, i wonder if any double leg amputees (humans!) would ever be interested in this kind of robot legs. they seem a little too wild and perky to wanna perch myself on (and may require the use of a helmet and wrist/elbow guards, a la rollerblading), but that's just me. a wheelchair is much more predictable and manageable, i'd think.