Boston Dynamics introduced this robot dog that is very reminiscent of an episode of Black Mirror.
Developers were the first to play Spot
Boston Dynamics has baptized this robodog as Spot. The developers have already explored some of the possibilities that these gadgets give that are more than just a pet.
Previously, Spot was only available for short-term lease under the Boston Dynamics Early Adoption Program. During that time, more than 150 Spot robots were successfully used by companies and research institutes, which were Spot’s early adopters.
These early users used Spot robots to document construction progress, monitor remote or dangerous environments and provide situational awareness. The robots were used in a variety of settings, including power generation facilities, decommissioned nuclear sites, factory floors, construction sites, and research laboratories.
Spot was also used to explore projects for creative industries, such as dancing on stage and performing in theme parks, as we can see in this Cirque du Soleil show.
What tricks can Spot learn?
Spot is designed to go where other robots cannot go. The robot can be reconfigured to accomplish different tasks, so it can increase business efficiency while reducing safety risks in the workplace.
Spot’s modular platform is designed to be easily configurable. This platform includes accessories and accessories available to customize its use.
Participants in the Early Adopter Program used these functions for automation in dynamic environments and to increase the efficiency of different tasks.
Would you pay $ 74K for a robot dog?
Many people pay a fortune for a dog, but the price of this robot dog, developed by the Boston Dynamics company, far exceeds the value of any pedigree dog. This animatronics has been released with a price of $ 74.5 K dollars.
Without a doubt, a robot dog does not have the extra costs that meat-and-bone pets usually have, such as visits to the vet, sterilization, or balanced food. But, do more than a million pesos compensate for those savings?
These are some of the results of the program:
- Approximately 20 hours of work per week were saved by automating the capture of nearly 5,000 images per week in the Quebec-based construction company Pomerleau‘s 150,000-square-meter construction project.
- The efficiency and security of data collection in the Hensel Phelps construction of the main terminal of Denver International Airport was increased. The same company automated the capture of laser scans and 360-degree images to reduce the risk of visits and project delay.
- Computer vision-based anomaly detection software was leveraged to reduce human risk in potentially hazardous tasks for AkerBP’s power generation facilities.
- It was used to autonomously navigate difficult-to-reach underground terrain with the integrated autonomy, perception, and communication tools of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Team, an application that ultimately won the most recent DARPA Underground Challenge Competition, the Urban Circuit.
Each of these early adopters customized Spot and took advantage of the robot’s mounting rails, payload ports, and software development kit to expand the capabilities of the platform that allows it to be controlled.
Many of the developers had never worked with a mobile robot before “training” Spot, but were able to use common web application programming to configure these tasks.
Now Spot is for sale, although only for the United States.
Hopefully no one will make him a killer watchdog.