We aren’t precisely sure when its day will be, but this rather unsettling robotic dog that’s being developed by tech firm Boston Dynamics will definitely be having its day sometime soon.
First unveiled last year by BD — who are no strangers to unleashing spooky Skynet-style designs — when they were still owned by Alphabet, the updated version of SpotMini looks sleeker and more streamlined than its predecessor. (Also, very much like a bumblebee to us).
Now owned by Japan-based SoftBank, Boston Dynamics appears to have given the four-legged robotic rover a pair of 3D cameras in place of eyes as well as a flat, square body.
Other than that, the 24-second clip doesn’t reveal much else about the SpotMini model besides that it can mimic the movements of a real dog, it moves quite smoothly and it is “coming soon.”
We’re assuming the new build is close to many of its previous specs (all-electric design, capable of running for 90 minutes on a single charge, 55 pounds), but until BD says something other than “stay tuned,” there’s no way to tell for sure.
Until their next viral video …
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