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Right before the end of 2020, Boston Dynamics surprised us with new video which was aimed to make us happy on these final days of the year perceived by a majority as the worst one. Maybe stepping into 2021 with good mood will bestow us with positive energy and change our attitude when it comes to the whole year. Who knows…
Boston Dynamics is world leading company which specializes in producing mobile robots. They are constantly focusing on overcoming the technological barriers in order to improve their creations. Their aim is to take advantage of the newly developed sophisticated solutions and equip the robotic creatures with systems that will enable them to act more human-like. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the video is dedicated to showing their abilities. And what they can do, is terrifically amazing. Short movie presents them performing coordinated dance moves in the in accompaniment of song “Do You love me?” by The Contours. The smoothness of their motions and the variety of poses that they are capable of doing, can surely embarrass many people.
In the below video you can find full choreography of the robotic dance.
Some can accuse Boston Dynamics of using CGI here, but even Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that these are real robotic motions.
In the short clip we are able to admire almost full lineup of Boston Dynamics robots which are:
Atlas
Atlas is the most humanoid robot in the Boston Dynamics fleet. It is an excellent example that such machine can achieve unbelievable mobility and agility. Because of the systems, that he is equipped with, the robot can keep well balance even in the most demanding situations. Atlas is capable of performing such tasks as running on uneven ground, acrobatic tricks or parkour. While looking on the old videos, we can observe how this model has changed over the years. It is easily noticeable that company is constantly working on improvements to make this research platform even greater and more powerful.
Spot
The spot is the only product of Boston Dynamics that is no longer only prototype version but can be purchased by companies for 74,500$. His quadruped construction enables him to cope with rough terrain, climbing up the stairs and staying stable all the time. As producer states, it is an excellent tool for the inspection of unknown industrial areas that are potentially hazardous for living creatures. Spot would be also helpful in the transportation of small payloads We should not forget that such a robot will be sure a great entertainment provider.
Handle
Handle is the robot that can be used in transportation of boxes around the warehouses. Due to the long reach (elongated gripping part), it can easily help in building up the pallets, depalletizing and unloading the ware. Two wheels enable Handle to move freely and efficiently with the speed of 4 m/s. Thanks to deep-learning vision software it is able to find specific boxes and locate them in the proper place.
Recently Boston Dynamics changed the owner. It was bought by South Korean car brand Hyundai for 1.1 billion $ from SoftBank, which possessed the company since 2017. We’ll see what this change will bring to the development of the robot industry.
Sources:
https://www.bostondynamics.com
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/11/22167835/hyundai-boston-dynamics-aquisition-consumer-robotics
https://www.theverge.com/21292684/boston-dynamics-spot-robot-on-sale-price