US Army spent millions developing Star Wars-like walking robots

An insect-like machine with six individually powered legs that was intended for the battlefield received millions in US government funding during the 1980s. The project to create a fleet of real-life AT-AT walkers from Star Wars started in 1981 at Ohio State University, as the military searched for ways to traverse rough terrain that wheeled vehicles couldn't manage. Called the Adaptive Suspension Vehicle (ASV), the bizarre vehicle was part of a decade-long project which was eventually scrapped after receiving a reported $1million a year from Darpa between 1981 and 1990. The fate of the ASV is a mystery, with nobody knowing whether it is in storage somewhere or was scrapped decades ago. Professors Robert McGhee and Kenneth Waldron at Ohio State University wrote a scientific paper explaining their project in 1986.