Google’s acquisition of Massachusetts-based robotics company Boston Dynamics was part of a big robotic push back in 2013, when Google also acquired a number of other robot and robotic technology companies. Now, after moving its robotics group into the Google X advanced research group, the company has put Boston Dynamics up for sale, according to people familiar with the company’s plans.
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Boston Dynamics is known for a number of its advanced quadruped and humanoid robots, including the recent next-generation Atlas (pictured). This humanoid robot is 5'9" tall and weighs 180 lbs and features a visible camera and LIDAR-based vision system. In a video released on February 23 of this year, the robot can be seeing walking outdoors in the snow, picking up 10 lb. boxes in a warehouse, adjusting itself after slipping or being pushed, and even picking itself backup after an employee knocked it to the ground with a hockey stick.
The YouTube video has been seen more than 15 million times, yet still, Boston Dynamics and Google were reportedly experiencing a bit of drama behind the scenes. Executives at Google parent Alphabet Inc., concluded that Boston Dynamics is not likely to produce a marketable product in the next few years, and have put the unit up for sale. Companies that could potentially look to acquire Boston Dynamics include the Toyota Research Institute, a division of Toyota Motor Corp., and Amazon.com Inc. Google and Toyota declined to comment, and Amazon didn’t respond to requests for comment, according to Bloomberg.
Tensions between Boston Dynamics and Google’s other robotics companies were reportedly brought into open view when written minutes of a Nov. 11 meeting and several subsequent emails were inadvertently published to an online forum that was accessible to other Google workers. These documents were then made available to Bloomberg news by a Google employee. Further details can be read here.
One interesting item of note is that a high-ranking Google employee noted that public reactions to the new Atlas robot mixed. While some viewed the robot as an exciting achievement, others viewed them as “terrifying,” and “ready to take human’s jobs.”
What do other people think of this? Do you foresee the general public continuing to view robots such as Atlas in this way? Or will people get used to them? Let us know in the comments section below.
View the Bloomberg article.
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