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Boston Dynamics gives its robot dog a developer SDK
Now that Spot is more clever and polite, Boston Dynamics is ready to set it free. The Softbank-owned robotics company announced that it's making Spot's SDK available to anyone who wants it via GitHub, starting today. The release will allow developers and even non-traditional roboticists "develop custom applications that enable Spot to do useful tasks across a wide range of industries," said Boston Dynamics VP Michael Perry.
Massachusetts police have been quietly testing a robot dog
Boston Dynamics has been looking for ways to put its robots to work, but it turns out they've already seen some service. Radio station WBUR and the ACLU have learned that the Massachusetts State Police bomb squad leased Boston Dynamics' Spot robot between August and November. While the document didn't elaborate on the role the bot would serve, a spokesperson said it was used as a "mobile remote observation device" to keep watch over suspicious devices and dangerous locations.
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot is now a gymnast
The latest footage from Boston Dynamics is, unsurprisingly, both impressive and terrifying. Over the past few years we've seen Atlas navigate uneven terrain and even jump around a parkour course. This is on another level, though. The bipedal robot does a handstand, rolls around and even does a few jumping twists -- all without losing its balance.
Boston Dynamics' SpotMini robots are strong enough to haul a box truck
How many SpotMini robots does it take to haul a big truck? Just 10, apparently. Boston Dynamics' new video shows 10 of its canine-inspired machines attached to a box truck like sled dogs, pulling it across the company's parking lot with a one-degree uphill slope. There was a driver behind the wheel during the demonstration, probably to prevent accidents, but the vehicle itself was in neutral.
Watch Boston Dynamics’ SpotMini robot twerk to ‘Uptown Funk’
If what you need today is a dog robot twerking to "Uptown Funk," well then you're in luck. Boston Dynamics' Spot robot is featured in a new video intended to show off its mobility, and it certainly does that as the robot dog steps, gyrates and dances in time with music.
Latest Spot demo puts a Boston Dynamics robot to work
After dropping a stunning "Parkour" video for its humanoid Atlas robot earlier today, Boston Dynamics followed up with this more subdued look at a commercial application for its technology. In a video similar to lab tests we've seen before, this sensor-laden Spot robot (there's even one in its "hand" that you can see it using above, Watcher-style) took a stroll around a couple of construction sites while carrying a pack to survey human compliance work progress. In June, president Marc Raibert said the company had 10 prototypes built already ahead of sales next year and this one looks like it's ready to go. The video's description indicates these will be released in the second half of 2019, so if you'd like to start doing some extra cardio now then that would be good.
Boston Dynamics 'new' SpotMini robot looks ready for a walk
Boston Dynamics isn't a part of Google/Alphabet anymore, but that won't stand in the way of new robot videos, like this latest teaser for a revamped version of its dog-like electric SpotMini robot. Described only as the "new SpotMini" it looks sleeker and more production ready than any version we've seen before. There's no creepy manipulator arm mounted on top and it's covered in plastic, revealing only a set of 3D vision cameras on the exterior.
NVIDIA Spot brings Google Assistant to every room in your home
There's a common gripe with the Amazon Echo, Google Home and other voice-guided helpers: You have to stand within their listening range to make use of them. Not quite the Star Trek future you were promised, is it? NVIDIA, however, might have a fix: It just introduced the Spot, a hybrid mic and speaker that brings Google Assistant to every nook and cranny in your home. You need the new Shield TV to serve as the central hub, but you're otherwise free to turn on lights, ask questions and otherwise use Assistant knowing that you'll be heard.
ICYMI: The dogbot and a heart strap that beats surgery
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Boston Dynamics introduced a new robot to the lineup and this one is both the smallest yet, and most adorable. The SpotMini is just two feet tall but in the video Boston Dynamics released, shows it can do dishes, throw cans away and creep around for a good 90 minutes on an electric charge. Meanwhile the EPFL designed a new medical device that looks not-entirely unlike an old school slap bracelet, except it's made of silicon and is designed to grip and squeeze the aorta, keeping the heart beating while a patient might be waiting for a heart transplant. Theater fans will want to know about New York's decision to ban robot buyers; while politically-minded folks (not already talking about Great Britain's vote to leave the EU) will want to hear about C-SPAN's decision to broadcast Periscope videos of the Democrat's sit-in. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Toyota is the top bidder for robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics
Over the past couple of months, Google's parent company Alphabet has been looking to offload its robotics division, Boston Dynamics, as it seeks to divert its attention to self-driving cars. Toyota's Research Institute was thought to interested in picking up the company from the start, but Nikkei is now reporting that the car maker's R&D arm is close to signing a deal for not only Boston Dynamics, but also Google's Japanese robotics company, Schaft.
Watch Google's robot 'Spot' play with Andy Rubin's real dog
The US military recently decided that Google's Alpha Dog and Spot robots weren't ready for active duty, leaving the four legged robots with nothing to do. In the meantime, Google is doing with its battery-powered Spot robot what we probably would -- using it as a dog toy. The company recently unleashed it on Cosmo, the terrier that reportedly belongs to Android co-founder and Playground Global boss Andy Rubin. The adorable result is that Cosmo, clearly the boss of this arrangement, sees the hapless robot as an existential threat that must be barked at and harangued (no butt-sniffing, luckily).
Boston Dynamics wishes you a terrifyingly happy holiday
Whether you think holiday greeting cards are touching or annoying, Boston Dynamics is celebrating the season just a little differently with this new video. Its robots have shown they are capable of navigating almost any environment with surprising speed and agility, so now a few Spot units have been pressed into service as sleigh-pulling reindeer. As usual, I'm torn between wishing one of those was waiting under my Christmas tree, or treating this as an early warning sign of a holiday-themed Judgement Day robot takeover.
Uber color coding experiment promises smoother pickups
If you've ever used a ridesharing service, you've probably had that moment where you had to guess which car was your ride. Yes, you have the model and license plate, but what good are those on a dark and busy street? Thankfully, Uber might soon take the guesswork out of the equation. It's testing a color coding system (SPOT) that has you picking the color for a light on the driver's windshield that glows when your ride gets close. If you want to help the driver, you can also light up your own screen to show that you're the right person.
The Marines start training Google's 160-pound robo-dog Spot
Spot, the silent robo-dog made by Google-owned company Boston Dynamics, enjoyed the great outdoors for a week back in September. Not to fetch sticks or roll around in the grass, but to train... with the Marines. It's gone a long way since its time stalking indoors, getting kicked by well-meaning engineers. The corps tested Spot's ability to traverse terrains rougher than concrete floors, such as hills, woodlands and cities, controlling it from 500 meters away with a laptop and a video game controller. It was apparently so easy to pilot the quadruped, even a four-year-old could do it.
Humanoid bot goes for a walk in the woods, terrifies nature on the way
Boston Dynamics' six-foot humanoid bot Atlas is breaking out of the lab... and going for walkies in nearby forests. After demonstrating that its four-legged dog robot can now open doors courtesy of a new limb, the Google-owned robot company showed how it's testing the limits of its humanoid robot. Yep, the walker is still tethered -- for now -- but it still managed to stroll all around in Mother Nature while closely approximating the gait of a drunken uncle. Watch (and perhaps worry) right after the break.
Google's got a robot dog that stalks indoors, haunts dreams
This is how it starts: you feel bad seeing the robot "dog" get kicked, and the next thing you know it's nipping at your heels, pushing you back to work in the salt mines. Instead of using the film and TV trope to illustrate how morally bankrupt a villain truly is, Google-owned Boston Dynamics employs it to show off "Spot": its latest quadruped, with an amazing ability to self-stabilize. The bot appears considerably more lithe than the AlphaDog it races up a hill, and can even roam in a tight pack with another unit. And unlike the diminutive Little Dog, Spot has a sensor-laden "head" that Boston Dynamics says helps it conquer a variety of ground cover.
Are we there yet? A century of the smartwatch in pictures
With two Google-powered smartwatches currently on sale, and the circular Moto 360 already causing a stir among design geeks, wearables are one step closer to securing a place on our wrists. And while many of us aren't ready to strap on a Gear Live, G Watch or Pebble just yet, that doesn't mean the smartwatch is a new concept. In fact, depending on your definition of "smart," these gadgets have been fusing time-telling with extra functionality since the early 20th century. From wrist-borne spy cams to radio-controlled timepieces, here's a look at this wearable's evolution.
Spot Gen3 outdoor beacon adds more robust tracking options, improved battery life
It looks nearly the same as it did in 2007, but Spot's outdoor beacon has evolved quite nicely on the inside. Now in its third incarnation, the Spot Gen3 is designed to help wandering argonauts keep their loved ones informed of their location for an even longer period of time. Engineered to be worn by those intentionally heading off of the conventional grid, the Spot Gen3 adds unlimited tracking (enabling wearers to pre-set the device to send tracks every 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes), motion activated tracking and longer battery life. According to the company, this guy will last nearly twice as long as prior versions, and you can also power it via battery or USB. The downside, of course, is that you'll need to pay $149.95 for the unit itself, along with a required annual subscription plan that starts at $149.99 per year. No one ever said adventuring was a poor man's sport, eh?
Spot Global Phone review: a satellite phone for the masses
Finally, a phone made in the year 2013 that Zack Morris can approve of. All kidding aside, Spot's aptly titled Global Phone isn't the most -- shall we say, svelte -- of handsets, but it's capable of communicating in places that your iPhone could only dream of. Spot is actually a subsidiary of satellite communications giant Globalstar, who is no stranger to providing satellite-based service to argonauts the world over. The Global Phone is one of the company's first consumer-facing phones, taking the intrigue and mystery out of procuring one of those fancy sat phones -- you know, the ones that can seemingly only be acquired by James Bond's nemeses. The target market for this handset is obvious: if you're an avid hiker, explorer, boater or adventurer, there's a high likelihood that you'll end up in a locale where traditional cell networks provide no coverage. In fact, it's shockingly easy to find dead zones these days -- just head to your nearest national park and stroll up a marked trail for a bit. At $499 for the device itself and month-to-month plans starting at $25, it's actually a reasonably priced addition to one's off-the-grid arsenal. (Have you seen the prices on subzero sleeping bags these days?) But, is it a worthwhile addition? I recently traversed 1,600 miles of mostly desolate territory in the US Southwest in order to find out, and the answer lies just after the break.%Gallery-190761%
Spot satellite-powered Global Phone keeps adventurers connected for $499
Sick of that spotty (read: non-existent) cell coverage 1,000 miles off the coast of Alaska? This time, you can't blame AT&T. There is an option for getting connected, though, and it's not quite as pricey as you think. Spot, a subsidiary of satellite communications giant Globalstar, recently announced its new Global Phone, a fairly basic lightweight handset that supports phone calls, SMS and compressed data at speeds of up to 28 kbps for $499. Usage fees are also fairly reasonable, with plans ranging from 10 minutes per month for $25 to unlimited calling for $150, plus a $50 activation fee. There's also an 80-minute plan for $40, 200 minutes for $65 or 400 minutes for $100 with monthly billing. The device itself sports four hours of talk time or 36 hours of standby, and provides direct access to GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center when you dial 911. The Global Phone is available now through a variety of retailers, including Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's and REI.
