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Boston Dynamics Spot Robot Dances in the Rain in First Official Ad

The era of articulated, self-righting robots is upon us. Boston Dynamics, the company that has made a business of haunting our imagination, has begun shipping the first batches of its Spot robot to “early adopters,” and also released the first commercial for the thing.
Boston Dynamics Spot out playing in the rain 15 photos
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Spot is the company’s first commercial robot, and the result of several years of work. The machine is a four-legged creature that looks like a headless dog and can be fitted with a variety of extras, depending on the intended use.

Boston says the robot can be customized to serve as a tool for construction sites, inspection of gas, oil and power installations, and even to ensure public safety.

The four legs of the metal creature give it a top speed of 5.7 km per hour (3.5 mph), and its swappable battery pack gives it an autonomy of 90 minutes.

As standard the robot is fitted with stereo cameras that allow for the 360 degrees vision it needs to avoid obstacles. If by any chance it trips and falls over, it can right itself in an instant. But some of the scariest of its talents are the ability to climb stair, cross over rough terrain and open doors.

The robot has been designed to be used in the most challenging of environments, including areas filled with dust and humidity, as it is IP54 rated. Its operating range of temperatures sits between minus 20 degrees Celsius and plus 45 (minus 4 - 113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Each of the Spot in the fleet can carry 14 kg of payload and can be additionally fitted with extra sensors and software.

Boston Dynamics does not say how much one of these robots costs, but if you’re interested in finding out you can contact their sales department at this link.

Also, there’s no information yet on how many of these robots the company will be rolling out in the immediate future.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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