Boston Dynamics has published a breathtaking video of a group of its renowned Spot robot dogs performing incredibly excellent dance routines.
Seven of the robots are seen executing a choreographed routine to BTS’s smash single “Permission to Dance.”
In the beginning, one dog appears to “sing” the solo parts of the songs by grabbing its robotic arm in rhythm with the lyrics, while the others step in the background.
When the chorus begins, they begin a series of synchronized motions in various formations, as if they were the boy band.
Atlas, a six-foot bipedal humanoid robot also developed by the Boston-based company, makes a cameo appearance, jumping and clapping to the music.
One YouTube user commented, “They could win Britain’s Got Talent,” while another joked, “Boston dynamics is becoming turning into an entertainment firm.
The dance was designed for the ‘BTS Yet To Come in BUSAN’ performance, which was held on October 15 to promote the city’s candidacy for the World Expo 2030.
But this is not the first time the robot dogs have danced to the South Korean band’s music.
Boston Dynamics posted a video of seven Spots dancing to BTS’ 2020 song “IONIQ: I’m On It” last year.
According to the company, their arms flew out in a fluid series of patterns in rhythm to the music, giving the impression of a single, multi-armed robot “peacocking for the camera.”
The seven Spots finally separated, synchronizing their motions and appearing to dance off one another.
In a blog post, Eric Whitman, a roboticist at Boston Dynamics, stated, “There were several obstacles in translating the choreographer’s vision, who is accustomed to working with human dancers, into our software.”
Everything has to be meticulously planned and scripted in advance. Robots have an advantage over humans in that they are extremely repetitive; if a task is completed correctly, it remains correct.
However, they have the disadvantage of requiring you to explain every minor detail. They do not improvise in any way.
Boston Dynamics stated that the film was created “in celebration” of its acquisition by the South Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai.
This was not Spot’s first trip onto the dance floor; in 2018, Spot “strutted its stuff” to the 2014 smash tune ‘Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
And in 2020, Spot joined Atlas and another Boston Dynamics robot named Handle in a dance performance to the 1962 Motown song “Do You Love Me?” by The Contours.
According to the company, getting Spot to dance serves a function — it exercises mechanical design and software algorithms.
However, the movies also provide some comic relief from the notoriously secretive Boston company, whose robot dog is commercially accessible and costs a stunning $75,000 (about £50,000).
SpaceX proved that Spot can be used for a variety of heavy-duty tasks, including examining rocket launch test sites.
It is also utilized by the French army to assist military school employees with training scenarios, and by the New York City Fire Department to assist in search and rescue missions.
The Pompeii archaeological site hired Spot in March to check the ancient Italian city’s streets and tunnels instead of people.
It patrols Pompeii at night or whenever the site is closed to visitors, providing a live feed to off-site administrators.
A portion of Spot’s work is to investigate tunnels constructed by illegal relic seekers that are causing structural difficulties but are too dangerous or confined for officials to safely explore.
It is capable of inspecting “even the tiniest of areas,” capturing and recording data that can be used to plan interventions to address structural and safety issues.
The spot is capable of mapping its environment, sensing and avoiding obstacles, climbing stairs, and opening doors.
It is capable of performing hazardous duties in a range of hostile situations, including nuclear power plants, offshore oil fields, and construction sites.
Boston Dynamics debuted the agile, four-legged robot dog in 2016, but the company spent years developing it before releasing it commercially on June 17, 2020.
When a business purchases a Spot device, they must agree to the terms and conditions, which state that ‘it is not certified safe for residential use or meant for use around children.
Nevertheless, Boston Dynamics creator Marc Raibert has already stated that Spot will soon be available for residential use.
In 2020, he stated, “We also have a project that I’m sure many of you will be extremely interested in, and that is cleaning your house.”
Now, Spot is not yet available for home use, but it will be in the future.
You’re going to enjoy the fact that the robot can be placed in a room and use its vision system to recognize your children’s discarded clothing.
Boston Dynamics’ technology is probably best recognized for inspiring a memorable episode of Charlie Brooker’s Netflix series ‘Black Mirror’
In the 2017 episode titled ‘Metalhead,’ humanity shortly flees an army of robotic canines that chase them mercilessly.
However, Boston Dynamics has stated that it would not enable applications of Spot that “harm or intimidate” people, which includes the prohibition of weapon attachments.
However, the company has not excluded selling Spot to security organizations or conducting additional law enforcement trials.
