If the name Boston Dynamics sounds familiar, you might be recalling the viral videos of the company’s robot dog Spot. Get ready to see more from Boston Dynamics, which just received an additional $37 million from SoftBank, according to CCN.
The robotics firm was acquired by SoftBank in July 2017 from Alphabet for $100 million, and the move was interpreted as SoftBank’s founder and CEO Masayoshi Son banking on the rise of robotics in an aging society.
“Details of the latest investment into Boston were shown by accounts filed by Companies House which show that SoftBank Group Capital, the overseas investment vehicle of SoftBank Global, processed two loans to Boston in June and September 2018 respectively, totalling $37 million.”
“Details of the latest investment into Boston were shown by accounts filed by Companies House which show that SoftBank Group Capital, the overseas investment vehicle of SoftBank Global, processed two loans to Boston in June and September 2018 respectively, totalling $37 million,” reports CCN.
Other robots from Boston include humanoids Atlas and Petman, as well as its animal-like Spot, BigDog and Wildcat, according to the outlet. While earlier models required remote operation by humans, the robots appear to be more autonomous these days, CCN notes.
CCN reports that the company’s latest humanoid robot has a built-in control system to coordinate motion in its torso, arms and legs, enabling whole-body manipulation and body balance, according to Boston Dynamics.
Petman, a humanoid robot designed for the U.S. Department of Defense, wowed people with its ability to wear clothes, do push-ups and walk. While Petman will not be on active military duty, its responsibilities will include testing chemical protection clothing for soldiers as well as engaging in emergency missions deemed too dangerous for humans, says CCN.
According to CCN, Boston’s founder Marc Raibert said at a TechCrunch robotics conference last May that the building of nearly a hundred robots over the course of two years was already underway.