Robophobes, beware! What was recently a fictional cause for an irrational fear of robots spurred from a recent episode of the British sci-fi TV series "Black Mirror" may just turn into reality.
Boston Dynamics, the company that created the sensational robodog called "SpotMini," prides itself in "building machines that both break boundaries and worked in the real world." This robotic dog inherited the easy mobility of its predecessor, "Spot," but has the added feature of using a five-degree-of-freedom rotating arm, amplified perception sensors and a 3D Vision System.
In a video posted on the company's website, the robodog can be seen freely roaming around a room, sensing a closed door. A fellow robodog is shown reaching out its "arm" and opening a heavy laboratory door. Amazingly, "SpotMini" was even able to hold the door and gently ease in to the next room.
Weighing in at 30 kilograms and with its 17 working joints, Boston Dynamics states that this is the "quietest robot" that they have built. With its all-electric features, it can operate for up to 90 minutes after being fully charged.
Apart from opening doors, "SpotMini" can also climb stairs and can be utilized in homes, offices, and even outdoors. The company began as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where they began working on the development the pioneering robots that could move like animals. Using the principles of dynamic control, sophisticated mechanical designs, electronics and intelligent software, the company is taking further steps toward creating functional robotic systems.
So, for viewers who got the chills after watching the robodogs launch a haunting attack on humans as they ravaged through "Metalhead" on "Black Mirror," this new development in robotics might just be a preview of what lies ahead. If "Spot" was able to load the dishwasher and "SpotMini" is now able to open doors, more possibilities lay ahead for newer incarnations of robotic animals.
