Boston Dynamics robots (60 Minutes)

[steelyman]

Last night’s episode of 60 Minutes included a segment on robots being developed at Boston Dynamics that I thought was fascinating. Who doesn’t like dancing robots

Here’s the YouTube clip, about 13.5 minutes long:

https://youtu.be/Ns__YpRneBA

[Jerry1]

Yes, I watched that last night. Very cool. Called DW into the room and even she was impressed. Can’t help but smile when they do the mash potato. Loved the guys reaction when he smiled and said it was all worth it. I doubt he’ll ever retire. He clearly loves what he’s doing.

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry1 Can’t help but smile when they do the mash potato.

[emoji4]

I always thought of that as a Dave Clark Five tune but here’s The Contours:

https://youtu.be/azKPeIWdE6I

[StillFiguringItOut]

Thank you for posting this! What a great start to the day.

[f35phixer]

watched too, put a smile on my face with the dance ;-)

[Aerides]

now go watch battlestar gallactica to see how it ends up

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by f35phixer watched too, put a smile on my face with the dance ;-)

Saturday Night Fever 2030?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides now go watch battlestar gallactica to see how it ends up

I haven’t seen that series. Is the threat or ending anything like Terminator?

[Teacher Terry]

A good friend of mine has a son working there and the guy talking about the robots sat in her kitchen eating cookies as a teen. I thought it was amazing.

[JoeWras]

Watch the "Black Mirror" episode "Metalhead" and get a different perspective. The episode was based on the early videos of "Spot," featured in this clip, including the lidar scans.

It is an unsettling fictional story. Not for everyone.

[easysurfer]

When Anderson Cooper was pushing the robot on the shoulder knocking it off balance, in the back of your mind, did you think "Watch it, the robot might decide to push back"?

[nvestysly]

DW and I saw the 60 Minutes episode last night very cool!

[NW-Bound]

Boston Dynamics has been around for many years. At megacorp where I worked, we used to talk about how fun it would be to work there, compared to the work that we did.

The company did not have any commercial product then (it only has Spot to sell now). It was a bit surprising that Google who owned Boston Dynamics wanted to sell it. I thought Google was short-sighted in not having enough patience to keep investing in this technology, but perhaps it was because I was not a businessman. The technology is very cool, but finding profitable applications for it may not be so easy nor simple.

[Aerides]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB I haven’t seen that series. Is the threat or ending anything like Terminator?

Basically, the robots take over (it's not a spoiler, it's the premise of the series). wiki snippets:

Originally created as purely mechanical devices to serve human needs, they eventually evolve into sentient, self-aware beings...They are the primary antagonists to the naturally evolved humans...

One of the series’ core themes is that, ‘All of this has happened before and will happen again’....humans developed artificial intelligence, only for the newly sentient life forms to wage catastrophic wars against their creators.

[SnowballCamper]

Did you catch that? Bought by Hyundai (car manufacturer) and the comment about the robots being able to go off road. The next disruption isn't self driving cars, it's riding robotic horses that can take you where the roads don't go.

[Popeye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Boston Dynamics has been around for many years. At megacorp where I worked, we used to talk about how fun it would be to work there, compared to the work that we did. The company did not have any commercial product then (it only has Spot to sell now). It was a bit surprising that Google who owned Boston Dynamics wanted to sell it. I thought Google was short-sighted in not having enough patience to keep investing in this technology, but perhaps it was because I was not a businessman. The technology is very cool, but finding profitable applications for it may not be so easy nor simple.

I imagine the Pentagon must have some interest. That could be a huge market but not exactly dancing robots!

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowballCamper Did you catch that? Bought by Hyundai (car manufacturer) and the comment about the robots being able to go off road. The next disruption isn't self driving cars, it's riding robotic horses that can take you where the roads don't go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Popeye I imagine the Pentagon must have some interest. That could be a huge market but not exactly dancing robots!

It was a few years ago that I heard of Google trying to sell Boston Dynamics. Just now, learned that SoftBank bought it, then resold to Hyundai.

Indeed, the DoD had an early interest in this technology, the same as the DARPA's first contest for an off-road autonomous vehicle back in 2004 that started the development for SDC that is still going on today with car makers all around the world. The DoD probably funded all this in its infancy.

Boston Dynamics built a 4-legged robot for the Pentagon, but it did not pan out for some reasons. I think a big problem with these types of robots is that they run out of battery juice fairly quickly, and this limits their use out in the field.

[martyp]

While these animoid robots are entertaining I am more impressed with this robot of theirs which can actually do work.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/29/2...ouse-logistics

[savory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound It was a few years ago that I heard of Google trying to sell Boston Dynamics. Just now, learned that SoftBank bought it, then resold to Hyundai. Indeed, the DoD had an early interest in this technology, the same as the DARPA's first contest for an off-road autonomous vehicle back in 2004 that started the development for SDC that is still going on today with car makers all around the world. The DoD probably funded all this in its infancy. Boston Dynamics built a 4-legged robot for the Pentagon, but it did not pan out for some reasons. I think a big problem with these types of robots is that they run out of battery juice fairly quickly, and this limit their use out in the field.

I have kept up with them as well. Lots of fun but nothing to sell. I am told it is a good place to work but do not know why.

[kgtest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowballCamper Did you catch that? Bought by Hyundai (car manufacturer) and the comment about the robots being able to go off road. The next disruption isn't self driving cars, it's riding robotic horses that can take you where the roads don't go.

I wanna ride a Billy goat robot...scale anything...or a raccoon?

A few utility robots I wouldn't mind to have are the landscaping robot...the car washing robot... or snow-plow robot.

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides now go watch battlestar gallactica to see how it ends up

Or consult Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 - the Mechanical Hound.

(written in 1953)