Boston Dynamics Prepares To Launch Its First Commercial Robot: Spot (theverge.com) 52
Boston Dynamics is about to launch its first ever commercial product -- a quadrupedal robot named Spot. The Verge reports: Spot is currently being tested in a number of "proof-of-concept" environments, Boston Dynamics' CEO Marc Raibert told The Verge, including package delivery and surveying work. And although there's no firm launch date for the commercial version of Spot, it should be available within months, said Raibert, and certainly before the end of the year. "We're just doing some final tweaks to the design," said the CEO. "We've been testing them relentlessly."
Rather than selling the robot as a single-use tool, it's positioning it as a "mobility platform" that can be customized by users to complete a range of tasks. A Spot robot mounted with 3D cameras can map environments like construction sites, identifying hazards and work progress. When equipped with a robot arm, it has even greater flexibility, able to open doors and manipulate objects. At Re:MARS, a Spot with a robot arm used it to pick up items, including a cuddly toy that was then offered to a flesh-and-blood police dog. The dog was unimpressed with the robot, but happy, at least, to receive the toy. Raibert says it's this "athletic intelligence" that Boston Dynamics will be selling through its robots. Think of it like Amazon's AWS business, but instead of offering computing power on tap, its robotic mobility. How much will Spot cost? Raibert only said that the commercial version will be "much less expensive than prototypes [and] we think they'll be less expensive than other peoples' quadrupeds."
He did, however, reveal that the company had already found some paying customers, including construction companies in Japan who are testing Spot as a way to oversee the progress of work on sites.
Rather than selling the robot as a single-use tool, it's positioning it as a "mobility platform" that can be customized by users to complete a range of tasks. A Spot robot mounted with 3D cameras can map environments like construction sites, identifying hazards and work progress. When equipped with a robot arm, it has even greater flexibility, able to open doors and manipulate objects. At Re:MARS, a Spot with a robot arm used it to pick up items, including a cuddly toy that was then offered to a flesh-and-blood police dog. The dog was unimpressed with the robot, but happy, at least, to receive the toy. Raibert says it's this "athletic intelligence" that Boston Dynamics will be selling through its robots. Think of it like Amazon's AWS business, but instead of offering computing power on tap, its robotic mobility. How much will Spot cost? Raibert only said that the commercial version will be "much less expensive than prototypes [and] we think they'll be less expensive than other peoples' quadrupeds."
He did, however, reveal that the company had already found some paying customers, including construction companies in Japan who are testing Spot as a way to oversee the progress of work on sites.
One BEEELION Dollars!!! (Score:5, Funny)
The robot rebellion starts here. (Score:3)
Apparently this one kicks back if you start giving it a hard time.
Re: Who paid for all this? (Score:1)
Your mom is, with all the dollars she makes sucking dick.
Re: Who paid for all this? (Score:2)
If that is true then is all research and design created from public funds entered into public domain? If not then why not?
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Boston Dynamics really exemplifies the huge gap between popular perception - that anthropomorphic robots exemplify high tech and the future - and the the reality, which is that it has been ridiculously difficult to profit from making them. Here they are, pumping out the most cool and uncanny robots the world has
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It will happen. The only question is when. Not this year. Not next year. Perhaps within a decade, though at this point that seems dubious.
That said, the transition is in progress. It's been in progress since the first vending machine. But the "takeoff" is rather slow.
One needs to remember that it's likely to require multiple innovations. I guess this is really a robot as well as a telefactor, but it's close to the division.
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Boston Dynamics really exemplifies the huge gap between popular perception - that anthropomorphic robots exemplify high tech and the future - and the the reality, which is that it has been ridiculously difficult to profit from making them.
I'm not sure those are mutually exclusive. For a really long time speech recognition was terrible, it was something you'd if use you had arthritis in both hands and only after a long training period would it mostly recognize you but only you. And only if you spoke slowly, clearly and with minimal intonation and slang like you were reading a news bulletin. It had a market, but they were not exactly getting rich. Then somehow it reached a level of maturity that most people could use it and over a period of li
I predict first wave of robo-murder within 3 years (Score:2, Interesting)
Self driving cars, drones, and robots have arrived. The first few years are going to be a bumpy road people.
Spot driving a Tesla! (Score:2)
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It's a two part thing. This isn't like a "control the actions in detail", The controls are things like "stand up" and "go left", with the on-board intelligence deciding where to put its feet.
So it's a cross between a robot and a telefactor.
Humans (Score:2)
Based on some informed knowledge... (Score:2)
...I'd say spot will retail for around 90,000,- USD.
And his "Chinese" counterpart, which is bound to follow soon, around 4,000,- USD . You can already see the Chinese version on youtube, it's slightly bulkier, heavier, a bit more clumsy - but it works pretty well for what you pay for. What you pay for with Boston Dynamic's spot, is support, the research, and top quality components used in the commercial model.
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Yep. Some intern ran off with a hard drive and a company in Shenzhen makes copies. US company sues, nothing happens. Eventually bankrupt. China jacks up prices. Left wonders why the right is OK with this trade war.
Just wait (Score:2)
Gun Turret (Score:2)
So how long before someone mounts a gun turret on it for military/secuirty applications? How long before gun-toting Spots are used for robberies?
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How long before we hear calls for "sensible robot laws"?
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You haven't been listening.
Not a good thing. (Score:2)
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It'll be tried for a bunch of roles, then be found to be barely good enough for some and hang in in those roles while it's improved and spreads into similar roles. Adoption will be slow until it becomes more generally useful and it has a track record that makes determining value possible.
We shall see which is correct.
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I can see their usefulness in hazardous environments -
e.g. firefighting or cleaning up toxic spills - but not much else.
At least until the robot arm is replaced with a shotgun.
can i mount a weapons turret on it? (Score:1)
Depends (Score:2)
How many pounds of explosives can it transport to the 4th floor where my nemesis lives?