Boston Dynamics Led a Robot Revolution. Now Its Machines Are Teaching Themselves New Tricks
Marc Raibert, the founder of Boston Dynamics, gave the world a menagerie of two- and four-legged machines capable of jaw-dropping parkour, infectious dance routines, and industrious shelf stacking. And he says that recent advances in machine learning at both Boston Dynamics and another institute he founded have accelerated his robots’ ability to learn how to perform difficult moves without human help. Credit: Robotics & AI Institute Boston Dynamics sells a four-legged robot called Spot that is used on oil rigs, construction sites, and other places where wheels struggle with the terrain. Raibert says RAI Institute used an artificial intelligence technique called reinforcement learning to upgrade Spot’s ability to run, so that it moves three times faster.
Discover Related
Robot completes entire marathon without recharging battery in world first
SpaceHopper: A Three-Legged Jumping Asteroid Explorer Takes Inspiration from Astronauts
Humanoid robots are here, but they’re a little awkward. Do we really need them?
Robot police dogs are on patrol, but who’s holding the leash?
Humanoid Robots Are Coming of Age
This might be what the ChatGPT humanoid robot will look like
Sony says it has technology for humanoid robots, just looking for use
Tiny robots with ‘brains’ can walk autonomously inside your body
The challenges automakers, and now Tesla, face with humanoid robots
Dancing robots so agile and fast, they start talk of doom for humans on Twitter
You can buy Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot for only $74,500
Robotic dog is working with medical staff in Boston to remotely treat coronavirus patients
As robots take over warehousing, workers pushed to adapt