Empire Strikes Back released 1980, complete with its AT-AT walkers. This US military walking tank project kicked off 1981. Just coincidence? Or a big-budget fan-boy tribute?
If you go to the Clone Wars you'll see vehicles with six legs that look a lot closer to this one!
they're called AT-TE for anyone who wants to google it
Moral of that story: these things are weak to cable tripping.