Althouse: SpotMini, the dog robot, is sprightly and agile...

June 25, 2016

SpotMini, the dog robot, is sprightly and agile...

... but don't miss the encounter with banana peels at 1:27.

And here's an article about it: "Boston Dynamics' robot dog is good enough to show how terrible home robots are right now."

16 comments:

Fernandinande said...: I for one welcome our new dog robot overlords. I'd like to remind them that, as a trusted internet personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground meat caves.; 6/25/16, 4:27 PM
rcocean said...: Interesting. But of course, all we care about is those Japanese Female robots. That's where the action is.; 6/25/16, 4:37 PM
Fernandinande said...: rcocean said...
Japanese Female robots.

Their gender is ... constructed.; 6/25/16, 5:16 PM
n.n said...: My Maltese Poodle doesn't discriminate between robots, hydrants, and other inanimate objects.; 6/25/16, 5:55 PM
Unknown said...: Suggests a prehistoric mammal rather than a dog to my eyes.; 6/25/16, 5:57 PM
Lyle said...: too expensive.; 6/25/16, 5:57 PM
Saint Croix said...: oh we are so desperate to mimic God!

and so bad at it; 6/25/16, 5:58 PM
Saint Croix said...: Robots should do things that we can't do.

Lift 1000 pound objects, for instance.

But these robots who are supposed to replace our loved ones?

Sad.; 6/25/16, 6:01 PM
Wince said...: I thought they were pretty impressive, especially ducking under the table while moving.

Wait until they mount a machine gun on one.; 6/25/16, 6:02 PM
RMc said...: Well, so much for sleeping tonight.; 6/25/16, 6:41 PM
Curious George said...: It's a fun and games until it humps the Big Screen TV.; 6/25/16, 6:43 PM
Owen said...: Impressive proof of concept. I imagine they will soon be able to make ones the size of grasshoppers. Good for recon and, with tiny grenades or incendiaries, a force to be reckoned with.; 6/25/16, 7:47 PM
Michelle Dulak Thomson said...: Why isn't it a robot cat? I mean, it has a cat's gait -- the legs on each side move in tandem, like a pacing horse.; 6/25/16, 8:46 PM
Kathryn51 said...: Are we supposed to cheer for this? Cannot replace my precious mutt JoJo.; 6/25/16, 9:16 PM
clint said...: "Robot Dog" seems like a misnomer.

This doesn't in any way fill the role that a dog fills.

But it's incredibly impressive. And the mind boggles at the potential uses, with a few more years of software and accessories.

The "head" action makes me think of the Pierson's Puppeteer aliens from a bunch of Larry Niven's sci-fi. They had two heads, and used each mouth like a hand just like that.; 6/26/16, 3:47 PM
Rusty said...: I think Boston Dynamics is trying to find a market since the Marine Corps declined their robot mule.; 6/27/16, 10:05 AM