Remember Spot, the cute, yellow four-legged robot dog Black Mirror: Metalhead lookalike that was unleashed at Bishan Park in Singapore back in May? Well, it turns out that you can buy and own it for yourself.
Recently, Spot’s manufacturers, Boston Dynamics, has put the robot up for sale to US companies for the price of US$74,500. Sure, it’s a massive price tag, but the company claims it’s justified, being the most intelligent and advanced canine (physically, at least) that exists today.
First introduced to the world in 2016, Spot units have recently been cropping up across many US firms and research groups as part of Boston Dynamics’ early adopter program (hence the trailer above). And from what we can see, Spot clearly has a ton of nifty tricks, including carrying a small load on its back, throwing them, getting back up automatically after tripping or falling, and even doing the shuffle. Now that’s something.
Spot can move at a speed of up to 1.6 metres per second, and has a 360-degree field of vision with a 4-metre range, which makes it pretty perceptive. It can also be customised with a plethora of optional upgrades, including a robot arm to easily pick up objects and even open doors, or even a PTZ camera with a 30x zoom if you want to turn him into a sentry of sorts.
In any case, if you’re seriously keen on parting with US$75k and want to bring Spot to your home, it’s actually now available for purchase on the Boston Dynamics website. Just don’t feed it kibbles.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Natalie
