Similar to their real counterparts, robot dogs cannot also be put down, mainly by pesky humans. Spotmini, Boston Dynamics’ four-legged machine can open a door and pass through it easily. Currently, the firm is training its robot dogs to fight back against human beings.
In a newly released clip, SpotMiniis seen approaching the door just like before, but this time around it is joined by a bothersome man holding an ice hockey stick. In this case, the human repeatedly strives to stop the canine from accomplishing its mission. Nevertheless, the robot canine is unperturbed by the distractions and goes ahead to open the door even after its fifth arm featuring a claw is pushed away.
After SpotMini tries to open the door, the man featured in the video endeavors to shut it. In turn, the canine successfully manages to fling the door open in a show of unmatched speed. However, before the robot canine sprints towards the threshold, the man grips a given piece of material hanging from the robot dog’s rear side. As a result, he utilizes the material to impede the dog from making it through the door by dragging it back.
MORE – Top 50 RPA Tools – A Comprehensive Guide
Despite the man’s undying effort to prevent SpotMini from going through the door, the dog persistently outstretches its arm in a move to keep it open. Although the robot canine loses its tail during the entire ordeal, the struggle causes the man to give in eventually. SpotMini quickly steps into position, lines itself with the door, grasps and turns the handle, opens it, and crosses the threshold. This scenario best represents a fight between a canine and its owner.
According to Boston Dynamics, a former Google turned SoftBank Robotics Company; the video evaluates SpotMini’s capacity to adjust to distractions or disturbances as it opens and passes through a door. The firm also revealed that the importance of such a test is because the ability to endure and respond to such disturbances leads to a seamless operation of the robot canine. In addition, the company added that the flying off piece sticking out from the backside did not harm or irritate the robot in any way.
Although it is not shown in the footage, a person drives SpotMini to the door then points his or her hand at the handle before giving the command, Go! This scene happens at the start of the clip and later at 42 seconds. As a result, the robot proceeds independently from those points. Just like the recently released clip where SpotMini opens a door and holds it open to let in a robot without arms, the video has elicited debate from online viewers.
SpotMini boasts as one of the quietest robots ever built by Boston Dynamics. It features depth cameras, force sensors in its limbs, and stereo cameras. In addition, it can handle a weight capacity of 14kg. On the other hand, the work of the software is to deliver balance, locomotion, and adjust behavior, especially when the robot’s progress goes out of line.
Source TheGuardian
