Google-owned Boston Dynamics has rendered Rudolph obsolete with a robot reindeer it unveiled days before Christmas. In a video posted in YouTube, the military robotics company demonstrated four-legged prancing machines that are capable of not just carrying goods but also hurling cinderblocks.
The robots are military-grade, which should indicate that the Christmas video stunt is just for show. This was actually the smaller versions of the "BigDog" robot pack mule that Boston Dynamics developed with DARPA, NBC News reported. The company merely had three of the machines wear antlers, red nose and bells to complete the reindeer effect.
In spite of the attempt to demonstrate "Christmas spirit", the robot decorations came off as more than a little creepy, judging by the reaction to them on social media. "Ah, Rudolph's long lost cousins Seeker, Finder, and Destroyer," said the headline of a popular Reddit thread.
Watch the video below.
The robot reindeer is just one in the impressive roster of robots that Boston dynamics built for military use. Aside from the "BigDog" pack mule, which can maintain its balance on rough terrain, there is also a Cheetah robot that can outrun Olympic runner Usain Bolt, BGR reported.
