Boston Dynamics has created one of the most advanced rough-terrain robot dogs on Earth, and actual dogs hate it. Scientists at the Boston Dynamics laboratory have tested out their robot dogn and discovered that biological dogs have a beef against it.
Filmed by venture capitalist and Tesla Motors board member Steve Jurvetson, a new video shows a small dog, probably a terrier, taking on the large Boston Dynamics robot. Known as Cosmo, the dog belongs to Andy Rubin, the co-founder of Android and previous manager of Google's robotics program.
The robot, known as Boston Dynamics' "Spot," is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. This allows Spot to run, walk, climb and look as if it is "frolicking" over all kinds of terrain. It has four legs that are articulated like an animal's and have compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. The machine is also the only one of Boston Dynamic's robots that's currently in civilian hands.
While Spot is a glorified remote controlled car in some ways, it seems to have gained the ire of Cosmo. In the new video, you can see researchers testing out the robot in a parking lot while Cosmo runs around the robot and aggressively barks at it. While Spot isn't being used for anything technical in the new videos, it is a feat of engineering, as it can keep its balance and has no trouble tackling terrain.
This shouldn't be a surprise from Boston Dynamics, which is known for its creation of robots. The company has already debuted Atlas, the first real humanoid robot that can tackle tough terrain. It also has the BigDog robot, which acts a bit like a pack mule, and SandFlea, an effective RC car- if RC cars had the power to jump 30 feet into the air to overcome obstacles.
While Spot's interactions with an actual dog are humorous, it does show that we may be expecting more of these interactions in the future. Robots are becoming more common in our daily lives, whether it takes the form of robotic pets or A.I. assistance, such as Amazon's Echo. It will be necessary to see how both people and animals interact with these systems.
