Boston Dynamics

Among all the robots designed by Boston Dynamics, Spot is perhaps the only one so far that borders on being considered "cute" to some degree. Its relatively smaller size and agility have definitely caught the attention of sectors outside the robotics industry, from law enforcement to hospitals to basically anyone with money to burn to buy or build one. The latter is apparently the case with MSCHF, notorious for its viral stunts, who just bought a Spot "dog" robot to create art in the most eccentric and controversial way possible.

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Boston Dynamic's first commercial robot, Spot, has had an upgrade, with the new version of the charmingly-terrifying robot dog now adding a robot arm and the ability to self-charge. Smallest of Boston Dynamics' models - and a quadruped, unlike the weirdly agile bipedal robots that arguably helped cement the company's reputation as a heavyweight in the segment - Spot has been on sale to businesses since June 2020.

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The days of a clunky robot lumbering slowly on stiff legs, its head tethered to a bundle of cables, are officially behind us. Boston Dynamics has published its latest robot demonstration video, this one showing multiple robots independently dancing -- quite well -- to the song 'Do You Love Me' by The Contours.

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Kicking off as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinoff way back in 1992, Boston Dynamics founded by Marc Raibert, professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, has come a long way ever since. Google bought the company in 2013 as a part of its X research and development wing. Then later sold it to Softbank in 2017 for an undisclosed amount.

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Automaker Hyundai Motor Group has announced it has completed a deal to acquire a controlling interest in robotics manufacturer Boston Dynamics. The deal is costing Hyundai $1.1 billion and gives the automaker group approximately an 80 percent stake in Boston Dynamics. SoftBank retains a roughly 20 percent stake in Boston Dynamics after the deal's close through one of its affiliates.

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Although robots and robotics have become hot topics in recent years, the actual robots that make it to the news aren't exactly like the robots of Hollywood. Flying drones, delivery bots, concierge bots, and even waiter bots all share in the same basic nature but are quite far removed from the robots of imagination and fiction. Boston Dynamics is probably both famous and infamous for robots that almost induce nightmares and the company is reportedly being sold off to a car maker where its future robotics ventures remain unknown.

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Ford has released the hounds into its factories, setting two Boston Dynamics Spot robots loose to survey its Van Dyke Transmission Plant. Part of the robot-maker's newly-expanded lease program, Ford's goal with the two quadrupeds is to create a 3D digital scan of the facility that's both faster and cheaper than the old method.

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Boston Dynamics' robot dog, Spot, has been put up for sale to businesses, offering a four-legged - and somewhat creepy - way to integrate a robot into the workforce. The news expands on Boston Dynamics' early-adopter program launched last September, and marked Spot's move from development platform into regular production. Around 150 of the robots were deployed as part of the program.

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Boston Dynamics' more portable version of its BigDog robot is getting around, figuratively and literally. At a time when social distancing and working remotely has become more than just a luxury, Spot's mobility and general-purpose design could be the key to keeping the world turning even with no humans in plain sight. That's the future that New Zealand robotics company Rocos is preparing for, with Spot doing the tedious and often dangerous work that farmers and herders might not be able to do for a while.

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While there are many that heed warnings to keep their distance or even stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, there are definitely those that may not be so diligent, especially if there's no one around to catch them. Given the lack of manpower to enforce social distancing regulations, Singapore is turning to robotics to keep an eye out and remind people about the risks they may be putting themselves and others in. The question, however, is whether their use of Boston Dynamic's popular yet unpopular four-legged robot will be an effective tool or will ironically only draw more people to it instead.

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It might not have the most comforting appearance but it will at least be saving lives. The smaller version of the company's "Big Dog", Boston Dynamics is putting the robot Spot to work as a frontliner in hospitals in Boston, allowing healthcare workers to communicate with patients over a safe, remote distance. Going beyond the call of duty, the former Google subsidiary is also opening up its hardware and software so that other robot makers could follow suit.

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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.

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