Boston Dynamics' robo-dog available at a whopping Rs. 57 lakh
What's the story
Boston Dynamics' creepy 'Spot' robo-dog is set to become widely available. The SoftBank-owned company has announced the four-legged machine, which reminds of killer robots programmed to hunt down humans in dystopian web-series Black Mirror, can now be purchased in the US. However, as you may have already imagined, it will not come cheap and remain restricted to business purposes only. Here's more about it.
Spot
First, a quick look at Spot and its capabilities
First unveiled in 2017, Spot robo-dog stands nearly 3-feet tall and uses 17 electrically-actuated joints and 3D vision to navigate while perceiving its surroundings. The battery-powered machine weighs around 30Kg and can lift almost half of it while traversing through various terrains and dodging people/obstacles at the same time. Notably, it operates on its own but remote control is also an option for users.
Applications
Already applied to a range of jobs
The autonomous, customizable, and seamless navigational capabilities of Spot has already enabled its use in several areas, including reminding people about social distancing in parks, helping doctors remotely triage COVID-19 patients, patrolling an oil rig in Norway, and working with a bomb-squad. Beyond that, we have also seen its fancy tricks like opening doors and hauling a rickshaw, a truck, and a 3-ton plane.
Purchase
Now available for commercial, industrial uses
All the applications of Spot were made possible through a short-term lease under the Boston Dynamics' Early Adopter Program. Now, the company is changing that and opening the robot to direct purchases. It says any company in the US can buy it for industrial/commercial purposes but the orders will remain subject to Boston Dynamics' terms, which mandate only "beneficial use" of the machines.
Pricing
But, you will have to shell a lot of money
In case the requirements suit you, visit this page (bostondynamics.com) to place an order for Spot. The ready-to-operate Explorer model of the robot, complete with its flexible API and payload interfaces, comes at $74,500 (Rs. 57 lakh) or, you can say, the base price of Tesla Model S. Plus, for add-ons like LiDAR and additional batteries, you will have to shell out more.
Quote
Increase human safety with Spot, says Boston Dynamics' founder
"The combination of Spot's sophisticated software and high-performance mechanical design enables the robot to augment difficult or dangerous human work," said Boston Dynamics' founder Marc Raibert. "Now you can use Spot to increase human safety in environments and tasks where traditional automation hasn't been successful."