Petman robot rocks gas mask, chemical suit

Superman: Petman flexes its muscles in its new threads.

(Credit: Video screenshot by Tim Hornyak/CNET)

If the apparel oft proclaims the man, as Polonius said in “Hamlet,” then the camo suit proclaims the robot.

Boston Dynamics is showing off new duds for its Petman humanoid robot platform, and it looks rather badass.

Peman is a walking, squatting, flexing hazmat suit testing machine. It’s designed to stand up to chemical warfare agents.

With nothing on, it looks like The Terminator. But when it’s wearing this camouflage chemical suit and gas mask, you could mistake it for a real soldier.

Related stories

• Petman robot soldier shows off with push-ups
• DARPA takes bigger BigDog out for walkies

Well, except for the tethers to its treadmill, as seen in the rather disconcerting video below. I for one am glad it’s still tied up.

Funded by the Department of Defense’s … [Read more]

Related Links:
Curiosity Rover discovers conditions suited for ancient life on Mars
Dad says Facebook photo of son with gun brought cops to house
Stroke patient gets by with a little help from a bot
New verdict in scientific whodunit: Dino-killing space rock was a comet
‘Iron Man 3′ will make you notice this phone, Alcatel hopes