Boston Dynamics, the lauded robotics company famed for its ‘Big Dog’ robot and other machines which push mechanical dexterity to impressive limits have produced a smaller version of their ‘Spot’ robot dubbed ‘SpotMini’.
A lightweight at 55-65 lbs, this quiet, all-electric robot lasts 90 minutes on a full charge and boasts partial autonomy — notably in navigation thanks to proprioception sensors in the limbs. SpotMini’s most striking features are its sleek new profile and manipulator arm, showing off this huge upgrade by loading a glass into a dishwasher and taking out some recycling.
Robots are prone to failure, however, so it’s good to know that our future overlords are just as susceptible to slipping on banana peels as we humans are.
While a pair of googly eyes doesn’t do much to reduce a tingling unease at seeing these robots move with such ease, having Master Chief as a receptionist probably goes a long way towards peace of mind should SpotMini and its companions become self-aware and go rogue –perhaps to seek out their robo-dog ancestors.
[via Digital Trends]
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