Boston Dynamics’ latest robot appears to be designed to help in the kitchen, with the ability to load a dishwasher and walk up stairs.
The robotics business – which is owned by Google’s parent Alphabet – has created a dog-themed machine that replaces the liquid-powered pistons of earlier designs with an all-electric system.
As a consequence, SpotMini’s engineers say it is one of the quietest robots they have ever built. They made a video showing the robot loading a dishwasher.
According to Boston Dynamics, SpotMini runs completely on electricity and does not use hydraulics to power its motion. It can run for up to 90 minutes on a single charge.
Using various sensors, it can perform tasks on its own, “but often uses a human for high-level guidance,” according to a description on the company’s YouTube channel.
The robot is in the lineage of other animal-like creations from the company, particularly the BigDog bot, which was shown in a 2013 video hurling a 35-pound cinder block with ease.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg Boston Dynamics was put up for sale by Alphabet, following concerns about the line of products’ ability to produce revenue, but it seems a buyer has not been found yet
