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Business Bootcamp
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) is an initiative offered through Syracuse Uni- versity’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families designed to leverage the skills, resources, and infra- structure of higher education to offer experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business man- agement to post-9/11
Marines Test Four-Legged Robot
veterans with service- connected disabilities and a passion for en- trepreneurship. The aim of the pro-
gram is to open the door to economic op- portunity for veterans by developing their competencies in creat- ing and sustaining an entrepreneurial ven- ture. More than 760 veterans have com- pleted the program. Apply online at
efense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) employees trained in September Marines from the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., how to operate “Spot,” a 160-
pound quadruped prototype robot that is electrically powered and hydraulically actu- ated. Boston Dynamics designed Spot. “We want to continue to experiment with quadruped technology and find ways that this can be employed to enhance the Marine Corps warfighting capabilities,” said Marine Corps Capt. James Pineiro, the branch head for MCWL. Marines with the lab and DARPA employees tested Spot’s abilities on different
terrains, including hills and woodlands and even in urban terrain. During a military operation in urban terrain drill, Spot went into a building before the
Marines and simulated peeking around corners and looking for enemies and threats. An operator uses a radio link from a laptop computer and a video game controller
to operate Spot from as far as 500 meters away. While Spot is not intended to be used operationally, MCWL is evaluating the uses of other robotics in the future. “We continue to invest in research and development of robotics and autonomy to
find ways to reduce threats to Marines and enhance our capability at the same time,” Pineiro said.
— Sgt. Eric Keenan, USMC 22 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2015 PHOTOS: ABOVE, SGT. ERIC KEENAN, USMC; LEFT, SHUTTERSTOCK