Boston Dynamics, the Google-owned robotics company, has a knack for making cool robots. The company created its most famous robot, Big Dog, over a decade ago. You may remember the Big Dog demo video that went viral and prompted people to speculate whether it’s cruel to kick a robot and ponder whether or not robots should have rights. Boston Dynamics has worked with organizations such as DARPA, the U.S. military, and Sony Entertainment, and currently has 9 different remarkable robots listed on their website.
Each and every robot from Boston Dynamics is fascinating, but one in particular stands out this time of year. SpotMini can tidy the table, do the dishes, fetch your beverages, and would be perfect to help around the house over the holidays.
As you can see in the video above, SpotMini moves much more smoothly than the early Big Dog robot. When equipped with its robotic arm, the robot can delicately pick up glasses, and place them into a dishwasher. Plus, if this little version of the larger Spot robot slips on some strategically placed banana peels, you know that it can easily right itself. Think about how easy the holidays would be with a holiday helper robot.
Spot Mini weighs in at at 65 pounds (with its robotic arm), is completely electric (it doesn’t use hydraulics), and can operate for up to an hour and a half on a single charge. The robot can carry out some of its tasks autonomously, but it does require human guidance for more involved tasks. While not the smallest robot that Boston Dynamics has ever built, they do claim that it’s one of their quietest.
Unfortunately, the SpotMini robot isn’t available to consumers, meaning you won’t find one under the tree this year. While owning a robot that could clear the table and bring you another glass of eggnog would certainly be great, maybe all you really want for Christmas is a fully operational Indramat motion control system. Contact us today for any of your Indramat repair or service needs!