Envision this: it is twilight as you wander through the woods. It is all quiet…until you hear the distant thump of four legs in the distance. You look up, only to see a four legged robot coming towards you. You flee into the underbrush, peeing in your pants in fear as you go.

Nightmare? Nope…it is reality and it’s coming soon. BigDog, which we’ve covered in the past, is being developed by Boston Dynamics as a quadruped robot which can climb hard terrain and carry big loads. Development is funded by the DARPA Defense Sciences Office, so you can imagine the possible military uses of this. You could probably also use it to scare away any muggers who might be following you at night.

The BattleBots concept is getting another shot, thanks to the robot loving ESPN 2 and ESPNU. The show will have a new format and an increased emphasis on the behind-the-scenes nerd stuff in the “pits” when the bots get hurt.

They’re doing away with the wedgebots and will also have more arena hazards. They will also have a new experimental class for featuring other bot types. The show was slated for June, but is being held back until November. So, if you are looking for a nerd come November, he’ll be in front of the TV. Then, shortly after, in the garage.

When designer, Karl Emilio Pircher and Fidel Peugeot pooled their resources, something amazing was bound to happen. But who could have imagined that their creative offspring would be a(horrified B-movie gasp) a walking chair.

It used to be that when you sat in a chair, your butt was in control. No more. Surely, THIS is how robots will seize control, carrying us where they will, never to be seen again. Humans being lazy, will no doubt not attempt to get up and thus be carried off to our fate.(Especially if they add a TV in front. That will make their takeover easy) Thankfully, that day has not yet arrived, but watch these chairs closely. They are fabricated from chrome plated steel tubes, plastic, and they even house an electronic heart. It’s pretty expensive at the moment at EUR 15, 000, but once they come down in price, no butt will be safe.

What’s more annoying than an alarm clock? How about an alarm clock with a robot head on it? That’s right – for around $80 you can introduce Mr. Clock Radio into your life.

This creepy looking clock radio has a robotic head set atop it like some kind of statue. You can wake up to some 30 different ways, ranging from a gentle voice to a screaming maniac beside your bed. You can also get it to tell you your fortune, wink as you undress and more! It will apparently even play music from your iPod.

This great looking and versatile robot watch serves a double duty as both a watch and a desk clock. Just remove him from the wristband and stand him up. That’s not all he does. It can also be used as a keychain time piece and even a necklace pendant. That’s alot of uses for one little robot. The arms are fully posable as well as his headgear. I think the best part about him is that he looks cool with the clock on his chest.

How much would you pay for this much coolness in one robot? You can get it for a surprising $40. Comes in Silver and Gold tone as well as a pewter color. All look equally nice.

If you didn’t already know, the military has been using iRobot’s services for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, sending versions called PackBots specially made to sniff out IEDs and do scouting in dangerous places so that real humans aren’t in danger.

With over 900 PackBots sold and in use so far the iRobot Corporation and Boeing are teaming up to create a new next gen robotic scout that will serve in the military as well as private sectors. Dubbed the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) Early, this little droid will weigh less than 30 pounds, allowing troops to pack it into remote regions and then scout out areas for any enemy combatants or to map the terrain before moving troops ahead.

iRobot will design, develop and manufacture the Early robot while Boeing lends a hand with systems …

Boston Dynamics has some pretty cool robots designed primarily for military type purposes, but their flag-bot design is the called the BigDog.

The BigDog is a gas powered quadruped that is about 1 meter long, weighs 75 Kg and can carry 120 pounds of cargo at 3.3 mph and climb a 35 degree slope. When “running” it looks kind of like two guys facing each other carrying a long pack, and it continually “trots” to keep it’s balance. It can navigate through rugged, muddy and snowy terrain and keep itself from getting into a jam. It can also take some external blows without losing it’s balance.

The 4 legged robot has an on-board computer that controls it’s movement through servo motors and sensors to maintain direction, balance and make decisions about moving through it’s terrain. It even can absorb energy back from steps to make …