Real dogs do not, for one, welcome their robotic overlords.
At least that’s the way it seems in this video recently published on YouTube. The clip shows Spot, the robot dog created by the Google-owned firm Boston Dynamics, interacting with an actual dog. The dog’s reaction is every bit what you would expect: the pup, seemingly alarmed, barks incessantly at the gigantic four-legged machine.
Steve Jurvetson, a partner at DFJ who sits on the boards of Tesla and SpaceX, posted the video, noting that the Spot model shown is the only one in operation outside of the military. Spot’s companion in the video is said to be Andy Rubin’s dog, the inventor of Android who oversaw Google’s robotics division before leaving the company in 2014.
The video also showcases how realistic Spot’s movements and cadence are compared to that of a real dog. Previous videos have shown Spot running, jumping, and trotting, but the new video flaunts some more nuanced motions.
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