New robot SpotMini from Boston Dynamics: even more perfect and in a yellow case

news | Nov 27, 2017 | Gadgets |

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Boston Dynamics robots are one of the most recognizable in appearance and have outstanding characteristics. Most of all they are known for their stability and good "vestibular apparatus." A video in which a robot quickly regained its balance and continued to move forward after a swift blow to its side has gone viral.

The company grew out of a group of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This summer, Alphabet, which the company owned in 2013, was sold to the Japanese corporation SoftBank. Since then, Boston Dynamics has manifested itself in the media space, only announcing new engineering vacancies.

On November 13th on their official YouTube channel, Boston Dynamics released a 24 second clip in which the company announced a new version of the four-legged robot SpotMini. Apparently, they will release a full video that will present and demonstrate the improved features of the model. The company likes to keep intrigue and hasn't disclosed any details.

The four-legged SpotMini resembles a large dog. The robot moves at a light trot rather smoothly and naturally. It is powered by electricity.

In the new robot, more than in the previous models, the developers paid attention to the appearance: all of the internal elements are enclosed in an elegant black and yellow body. In the front there is a pair of 3D cameras which are responsible for navigation.

The previous version, which was called the company's quietest robot, weighed about 30 kg and could work without recharging for about an hour and a half. A distinctive feature was a long mechanical arm which the robot used as a manipulator and a fifth limb. Apparently the new SpotMini has had this arm removed.

Among the previous models of Boston Dynamics, there are four-legged and two-legged robots, as well as the robot Handle moving on wheels. One of the first BigDog robots was commissioned by the US Department of Defense for DARPA. In the portfolio of the company it is also worth highlighting the humanoid robot Atlas and the crawling RHex with six limbs.