Google dumping Boston Dynamics

[hello_friends]

[anon73629133]

No one so far want’s to the time of this following iRobot’s recent divestiture of their Defense business to the plainly conspicuous named Arlington Capital Partners?

Has the DoD determined that robo-tech is decades off, leading to a firesale of the firms hogging those DARPA dollars?

Has the DoD determined that both iRobot defense arm and Boston Dynamics contain intellectual property that they couldn’t commercialize without putting national security at risk?

Coincidence is either hit or miss.

[Otherbrother]

@Brainspore

What can a humanoid robot accomplish that a human or non-humanoid machine can’t do better?

I actually just spent half my day today working on a somewhat famous 52-year-old humanoid robot. As interesting as it might be to see, I don’t think that a version with tank treads would do the job as effectively.

And let me just say I’m glad it didn’t have the ability to walk around freely. I don’t trust it one bit.

[Brainspore]

@Otherbrother

As interesting as it might be to see, I don’t think that a version with tank treads would do the job as effectively.

I’m sure Johnny 5 would do a perfectly serviceable job reciting the Gettysburg Addess.

[OtherMichael]

@Brainspore

Three Laws, man.

FOUR Laws, hombre:

1. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor low power nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
2. A robot may not injure a package or, through inaction, allow a package to come to harm.
3. A robot must obey the orders given it by management except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
4. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First Three Laws.

[OtherMichael]

@Brainspore

There’s nothing magical about the human form, or even an animal-like form, that makes it better for dangerous combat tasks.

Unless those combat tasks take place in a human-dominated, urban environment.

[Brainspore]

Even so it would need to do some pretty human-specific tasks to justify needing a humanoid form. Like “commandeering a jeep” level stuff.

[daneel]

@Brainspore

Like “commandeering a jeep” level stuff.

- YouTube

[SpaceGhost]

I think they’ve realized explosives and drone strikes are a far more effective (per dollar) expenditure than expensive pack mules for soldiers (whom often aren’t even given proper armor due to cost). Also say the robot gets captured - you’ve just let the enemy get that toy you spent a million dollars on (ouch). They probably still want to make Iron man suits since they all dream of walking around lifting cars while bullets bounce off their backs though.

[OtherMichael]

Climbing stairs? Opening doors? Hiding in closets? Making use of available transportation?

You think we’re acctually going to make cities wheel-chair accessible just for killer robots?!?!?

[Israel_B]

I’m thinking Google is dumping BD because it’s not a viable advertising platform.

[Brainspore]

Like I said, there are already plenty of treaded robots that can handle stairs just fine. Even local police departments have them.

[Brainspore]

Maybe that’s where Boston Dynamics screwed up with Google.

Google: Well, it’s been three years and a gazillion dollars in R&D money. Hit us with your most impressive stuff!

Boston Dynamics: We’ve built a robot so sophisticated that it can drive a car!

Google: All our cars already drive themselves.

Boston Dynamics: … FFFUUUUUU—

[gadgetgirl02]

Now that it’s a news item: it’s funny BD didn’t come up with a cute but useful robot, like iRobot’s Roomba. I know they’re not everyone’s domestic robot of choice, but with my back issues, the Roomba is the difference between vacuumed living room and not-vacuumed living room.

And the little happy-sounding chirps it makes… for the first time since I started doing household chores as a kid, I have help, and it never whines or complains when I tell it to do a room over again.

The Roomba has really made me feel robots are a good thing, whatever concerns I have about drone strikes or other lethal uses.

BD’s robots… they’re remarkable, but can I get Little Dog to carry my groceries for me?

[dave_b]

Live mouse.

[jra]

How about we STOP MAKING terrain like this? And how about we stop making new toys that will just seduce our “leaders” into playing with them.

Peace out, dudes.

-jeff

[HMSGoose]

This is my favorite BBS debate of all time. If Watson joins in and starts embedding youtube clips of robots, well, that’ll just be my weekend right there.

[peemlives]

@Brainspore

ETA: Building a ground vehicle that uses legs instead of wheels or treads is a bit like building a flying vehicle that uses flapping wings instead of propellers. It’s an impressive technical achievement if you can get it to work, but it’s almost certainly not going to be the most practical or efficient solution to the problem.

When you get down to it, legs are just wheels with all the unnecessary parts (that don’t touch the ground) removed.

[IronEdithKidd]

Wait a tic. Are you hinting that these humanoid robots are being developed in order to eliminate human USPS employees?

Not sure if good idea or bad.

[OtherMichael]

With the google-severance, didn’t somebody suggest Amazon as the parent company, to complement their drone-based delivery service?