The Legged Squad Support System is the project of a legged robot

Legged robot

thumb|A [[Hexapod |hexapod robot]].Legged robots are a type of mobile robot. They are somewhat a recent innovation in robotics. However, many or all bipedal models are not practical seeing as they are cumbersome and slow. Most successful legged robots have 4 or 6 legs for further stability...

, planned successor to the BigDog

BigDog

BigDog is a dynamically stable quadruped robot created in 2005 by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. BigDog is long, stands tall, and weighs , about the size of a small mule. It is capable of traversing...

 quadruped robot.

Specifications

The Legged Squad Support System is to "Go where dismounts go, do what dismounts do, work among dismounts". The machine is to carry 400lb (181.8 kg) of squad equipment, sense and negotiate terrain, maneuver nimbly, and operate quietly when required. The machine is required to be ruggedized for military use, including the ability to ford streams and operate in hot, cold, wet, and dirty environments. The contract schedule calls for an operational demonstration of two units with troops in 2012.

The initial contract for the Legged Squad Support System was awarded to Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics is an engineering and robotics design company best known for the development of BigDog, a quadruped robot designed for the U.S. military with funding from DARPA, and DI-Guy, COTS software for realistic human simulation...

on December 3, 2009.