Massachusetts State Police was officially the first police department in the United States to test the use of a robotic dog named Spot from Boston Dynamics. News of the test was first revealed in documents obtained by the ACLU; the robotic dog was in use for non-weaponized purposes from August to November of this year. The test raises concerns over the potential use of intelligent robots by law enforcement.
You've seen the videos of the robot animals walking up hills, getting kicked by humans, and doing backflips. Now, Boston Dynamics put one line of these robots, Spot, up for sale. Sales this week ales are being described by Boston Dynamics as an "early adopter program" and will target businesses, first. This is Boston Dynamics' first commercial robot.
When people talk about robots taking over humans' jobs, they're mostly talking about those robots that come in incorporeal, digital-only form. It's going to be a very long while before humanoid or even bipedal robot can pose a fictional threat to humans. They can't even walk on uneven terrain without toppling over. That has been one of the challenges of DARPA's contests and IHMC Robotics may have developed a way for the likes of Atlas and Valkyrie to learn how to step through treacherous land.
Santa would probably want a pack of SpotMini quadrupedal robots for himself for Christmas. That is if he ever decides to change careers and drive a truck that can break down any time in the middle of nowhere. That's when he'd wish he'd gotten robot dogs instead of fleshy reindeer because, as Boston Dynamics' latest video shows, these can haul an entire truck. Then again, the reindeers could have made the truck fly.
By now, most of us are probably familiar with the SpotMini robot from Boston Dynamics. The SpotMini has been the subject of quite a few videos where Boston Dynamics flexes its robotics know-how, but the video that was published today is quite unlike any other we've seen so far. In it, we get to watch the SpotMini dance to "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
Boston Dynamics has published another video showcasing its Atlas robot and the new skills it has acquired. This video, simply called "Parkour Atlas," shows the company's Atlas robot perform a fairly basic parkour activity -- quickly ascending three large steps -- with a level of agility that is life-like.
Boston Dynamics is upgrading from merely terrifying us with the sight of its lifelike robots to actually selling them, with sales of its dog-like 'bot expected to start next year. The company is currently owned by SoftBank, which has already launched robots of its own, though none quite as advanced as those Boston Dynamics has developed over the years.
Boston Dynamics has released a couple new videos featuring its robots, chief among them being one of the humanoid Atlas running outside without a cable tether. In addition to running on camera, Atlas also leaps over an obstacle, demonstrating how much progress the team has made over the past few years. This is the same robot that once struggled to simply walk outdoors.
Earlier this month, Boston Dynamics demonstrated a version of its SpotMini robot that contains an arm and claw/clamp on the end of the armature. The robot was demonstrated opening a door and walking through, but that was too simple of a task, apparently. This time around, the robotics company has demonstrated the robot actively resisting an aggressive human who is getting in the way.
Boston Dynamics is back with a new video showing off one of its creations, the latest iteration of the SpotMini robot. SpotMini has changed considerably since its first public debut; its movements are more animal-like than ever, plus it has a slim, sleek body. Not content with merely making robo-dogs, though, Boston Dynamics has taken things up a notch by adding a flexible arm and claw/clamp.
Remember Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot, the robot that just a few years ago was toddling around with a physical cable tethering it to its controller? Robots grow up quickly, it seems, as Boston Dynamics has just shown off the Atlas robot performing a variety of complex movements, doing so entirely wire-free.
Boston Dynamics has just posted an online video of its New SpotMini, the new version of the SpotMini robo-hound it unveiled last year. This new version is equal parts adorable and frightening, able to run with a canine-like gait that is nearly lifelike. At the same time, it is clearly a robot, one that strikes a pose by crouching and staring into your soul...with its square, soulless mechanical face.