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Google is shutting down its SCHAFT robotics unit
Google parent Alphabet is shutting down its SCHAFT robotics unit after failing to find a buyer. Home to the company's giant bipedal bots designed to act as first responders in emergencies, the secretive division was supposed to go to Softbank as part of its Boston Dynamics buyout (another Google robotics venture). But that deal apparently broke down because "one or more [SCHAFT] employees" refused to join its new Japanese owner, reports Nikkei. As a result, Google says it was left with no option but to close its doors. It confirmed to TechCrunch that it's helping employees find new roles, most of which will be outside of Google and Alphabet.
Softbank buys Boston Dynamics (and its robots) from Google
It's been over a year since we heard that Google's parent company Alphabet wanted to sell its robotics company Boston Dynamics, and now it has a buyer: Softbank. The Japanese company has been working on its own robots for years, including the helpful Pepper, and now they'll be under the same umbrella as Handle, Big Dog, Atlas, WildCat and all the rest.
ICYMI: Ford night riding, AI sphere that delivers and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-974841{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-974841, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-974841{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-974841").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Ford is testing self-driving cars on a completely dark night course, designed to be used without headlights. An automation company built a flying sphere that can pick up and deliver things with a very sphincter-like gripper system. And Schaft Inc. is showing off its new bipedal robot that can walk on rocky beaches easily. The physicist who is thrilled about his job specializing in snowflakes is a must-watch (post-Zombie fakeout, of course). As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Schaft's latest robot looks positively interstellar
Alphabet's intent to get rid of Boston Dynamics hasn't affected its other robotics programs, from the looks of it. On Japan's New Economic Summit stage, the Alphabet X lab (formerly Google X) subsidiary SCHAFT unveiled a new bipedal unit that's capable of climbing stairs, carrying a loaded barbell on its "head" unit, laterally stepping through a row of seats at a soccer stadium and even maintaining balance when a section of pipe is placed under its feel. IEEE Spectrum writes that this was part of former Google exec Andy Rubin's keynote at the event, but that the debut wasn't part of a product announcement or "indication of a specific product roadmap."
NYT: Alphabet's reorganized 'X' division now includes robots
Last year Google shipped off some of its wilder projects for administration under new parent company Alphabet, which included its efforts with robots and the lab formerly known as Google X. A New York Times report says that the latter, now just known as the X research division, is in control of the disparate robotics projects acquired by Andy Rubin. To help manage the team, a former Nokia exec (with some interesting ideas about how Android can beat iPhone) named Hans Peter Brøndmo also joined up this month.
DARPA's top robotics challenge contender to become a commercial Google robot
The S-One humanoid robot, which completely dominated DARPA's Robotics Challenge trials in December, has been pulled out of the $2 million competition... and it's not exactly surprising. You see, S-One was created by Japanese team SCHAFT, one of the robotics companies Google acquired last year, and Mountain View said long ago that it's not interested in pursuing military contracts. While S-One's withdrawal means we won't be seeing it go through the agency's rigorous challenges anymore, it does come with a very exciting news. According to DARPA Product Manager Gill Pratt, the SCHAFT team ultimately decided to bow out not only because it doesn't need funding anymore, but also because it wants to focus on building a commercial product. In other words: a Google robot that people (most likely huge corporations, governments and the obscenely wealthy) can buy.
Google-powered machines lead DARPA's Robotics Challenge (video)
And you thought the Big Dog was scary? Okay, Boston Dynamics' quadrupedal, un-tip-overable 'bot still takes the cake, but SCHAFT (pictured above) deserves its own condo in the uncanny valley. And to think, they'll both be eating together at a cafeteria in Mountain View soon. That 'bot won DARPA's rescue-oriented competition this weekend by successfully navigating tricky terrain and clearing debris. Two other teams, IHMC Robotics and MIT, earned respective second and fourth places with variants on Boston Dynamics' Atlas machine. Other top-ranking entries included third-place Tartan Rescue as well as RoboSimian, Traclabs, WRECS and Trooper. The high scores are useful for more than just bragging rights. These top eight teams will receive DARPA funding as they move on to the Robotics Challenge finals in late 2014; they'll have a big (metal) leg up versus rivals that will have to pay to play. Congratulations to all, but if you don't mind, we'll be keeping our distance from Google headquarters until we know exactly what Andy Rubin plans to do with his new army of metal men and beasts.
