The Crusher - DARPAs Six Wheeled Autonomous Robot

Pioneers in military technology DARPA - The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - have just unveiled a six-wheeled autonomous robot that is capable of maneuvering through ditches, walls, streams and even other vehicles whilst raining down a hail of bullets against its enemies.

The Crusher - developed at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute - weighs nearly 7 tons, has a top speed of about 25 mph and is designed to be totally autonomous; it doesn’t even require a remote driver to control the robot, although this is an option if necessary.

Check out this first video of the Crusher Climbing a 4 foot wall.

The robot is armed with a large caliber gun, long range cameras that can spot enemy targets up to two and half miles away, as well as GPS sensors and internal maps to plot out its route. The Crusher can roll through just about anything that gets in its way, deviating from the most direct route only when faced with obstacles over six feet tall or deep.

Another two videos and more info after the jump

This second video shows the Crusher driving up a steep uneven terrain, then right at the end of the clip, the Crusher ploughs through two cars like a knife through butter.

Stephen Welby, director of DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office, told the military-oriented Stars and Stripes newspaper,

“This vehicle can go into places where, if you were following in a Humvee, you’d come out with spinal injuries……
“Usually vehicles are set up to protect humans. Here, we didn’t have to worry about that.”

Surprisingly, the Crusher’s engine is ripped from popular modern day machinery and devices including a Volkswagen Jetta’s diesel engine, an X-Box 360 controller for remote control and a hacked Apple iPhone which gives remote updates of the Crusher’s internal diagnostics.

Soldiers “could finally put those ‘Halo’ skills to good use,” joked Welby.

The third video is a clip from The Discovery Channel with some more footage of the Crusher in action.