Boston Dynamics can apparently only make nightmare-inducing robots.
The robot company, which was once owned by Google but is now owned by Japan's SoftBank, makes several bipedal and quadrupedal robots, most of which look creepy (see this one and this one and this one and this one). And the company's latest technology is no exception. It has published a YouTube video to show off a more advanced version of its SpotMini robot, which was first announced last summer.
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SpotMini started out as a dog-like chore robot that could perform some basic tasks autonomously. It had a "manipulator" arm that looked a lot like an elongated giraffe neck. This manipulator arm could be used to "gently" pick up a glass and put it in the dishwasher, but in reality, it had a little trouble letting the glass go. The new SpotMini appears to be much improved, with more fluid movements and a sleeker look.
Although there are yellow plates covering its legs and body, helping it to appear more like a finished product, it's still creepy-looking. Boston Dynamics said SpotMini is “coming soon,” but it’s unclear if that means it's launching soon, or if more information will be revealed soon.