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PETMAN Robot Tests Chemical Suit, Gas Mask In New Boston Dynamics Video

WATCH: Creepy Humanoid Robot Tests Chemical Gear
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By 

Senior Science Editor, The Huffington Post

PETMAN has some scary new duds. In a just-released video, the eerily human-like military robot PETMAN rocks chemical protection clothing and a gas mask -- and he looks even more menacing than ever.

Built by robotics design company Boston Dynamics for the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), PETMAN has shown in previous videos that it is able to climb stairs. But this time, the robot marches, squats, twists its torso, and looks around -- all as part of an effort to test the clothing's ability to keep out chemical agents.

As the company's YouTube description says of the specially equipped PETMAN: "It is used to test the performance of protective clothing designed for hazardous environments... PETMAN has sensors embedded in its skin that detect any chemicals leaking through the suit."

And as if PETMAN isn't scary enough, DARPA's Pet-Proto robot can leap over obstacles and make decisions on its own.

Creepy.

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