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SpotMini Robot Dog, Autonomous And On Sale In 2019
US-based robotics company Boston Dynamics announced the semi-autonomous SpotMini robot dog is scheduled to go into production in mid-2019.
(SpotMini robotic dog videos from Boston Dynamics)
Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert announced the robot's production date at TechCrunch Sessions: Robotics conference in California last week, saying the SpotMini would be suited to office environments."The SpotMini robot, the small quadruped, is one that was motivated by thinking about something that could go in an office, with a more accessible place for business applications, or in a home eventually," said Raibert.
"SpotMini is in preproduction now... We have a plan later this year to build a hundred with contract manufacturers, and that's the prelude to getting them into a higher rate production, which we hope to start about the middle of next year."
I admit that I'm a little bit concerned that most depictions of autonomous robot dogs in literary sf are not very nice - consider the rat thing from Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, the slamhound from William Gibson's 1986 novel Count Zero, and of course the mechanical hound from Ray Bradbury's 1953 classic Fahrenheit 451.
You may also enjoy this squirming basketful of robot puppies:
- DARPA's 'BigDog' Robot Now In Puppy Stage
- Meet Spot, The Electric Quadrupedal, Er, Robot Dog
- Sony Aibo Robotic Dog Now With No Repairmen
- Sony's New, Cuter Aibo Robot Puppy
Via Dezeen.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/15/2018)
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