Google Just Bought A Company That Builds Crazily Spectacular And Terrifying Robots
Google is making a big drive into robotics. It has acquired seven other other robotics startups in recent months as part of an effort led by Andy Rubin, the man who previously led the development of the Android mobile operating system.
By Sadho Ram — 15 Dec 2013, 04:16 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Google has bought up the cutting-edge robotics firm, Boston Dynamics, for an unspecified sum
Google confirmed on Friday that it had completed the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon.
nytimes.comThe company, based in Waltham, Mass., has gained an international reputation for machines that walk with an uncanny sense of balance and even — cheetahlike — run faster than the fastest humans.
telegraph.co.uk
These machines are more than just spectacular feats of engineering, though; they embody a powerful approach to robot locomotion, one that might have an big impact on the way future machines move around our world.
technologyreview.comSpeculating about what might Google use robots for, some Internet users speculate the robots could be used to improve Google Maps
It is the eighth robotics company that Google has acquired in the last half-year
Google's other robotics companies include Autofuss and Bot & Dolly, Schaft, Industrial Perception, Meka, Redwood Robotics, and Holomni.
zdnet.comExecutives at the Internet giant are circumspect about what exactly they plan to do with their robot collection.
engadget.com
But Boston Dynamics and its animal kingdom-themed machines bring significant cachet to Google’s robotic efforts, which are being led by Andy Rubin, the Google executive who spearheaded the development of Android, the world’s most widely used smartphone software.
nytimes.comThe tech giant said that it intends to honor the existing military contracts the firm has, but does not plan to become a military contractor
Google apparently does not plan to proceed as a military contractor itself, although according to the article, Boston Dynamics will honor its existing military contracts.
techcrunch.com
As of now, Boston Dynamics has a $10.8 million contract with DARPA to supply several humanoid Atlas robots. The machines are set to participate in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, which awards the winning maker with a $2 million prize. The contest evaluates robots’ ability to function during natural disasters and catastrophes such as an earthquake or a nuclear power meltdown.
rt.com
The deal is also the clearest indication yet that Google is intent on building a new class of autonomous systems that might do anything from warehouse work to package delivery and even elder care.
nytimes.comThe company’s robots are famous for their abilities to walk through terrain which is difficult even for humans
One of its four-legged robots, BigDog, can climb hills, walk through snow, travel through ice, and remain standing even after being kicked by a human, according to a video of the robot released in 2008.
zdnet.com
BigDog development started in 2003 in partnership with the British robot maker Foster-Miller, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Harvard.
dailymail.co.ukMore recently, Boston Dynamics distributed a video of a four-legged robot named WildCat, galloping in high-speed circles in a parking lot
The robotics firm has also designed robots that can climb walls and trees, as well as run faster than any human being on earth. A video recorded the Cheetah robot running 29mph faster than the fastest human, Usain Bolt.
The Jamaican sprinter’s top speed is 27.78 mph (44.7km/h).
rt.com