Boston Dynamics is at it again. It’s been a while since we last saw something from them, but the company has recently produced a smaller (more kickable) version of its signature four-legged robots, and has released some fresh footage of it in action.
Spot, as they call it, is essentially the latest incarnation of all the awesome robots that Boston Dyamics has made over the years. It’s smaller, faster, and more efficient than its clunky predecessors, and while it’s not quite as quick as the company’s Cheetah or WildCat, it runs circles around the clunky LS3, which makes an appearance toward the end of the video.
There’s not a whole lot of information available about the bot right now, but we do know that Spot weighs about 160 pounds, is electrically powered (unlike his gas-powered brethren), and uses a LIDAR system to navigate and negotiate rough terrain. It can also withstand a pretty solid kick — BD’s favorite way to demonstrate a bot’s ability to maintain its balance and recover from unexpected impacts.
