We knew this day would come sooner or later. Like the cloned velociraptors before it, Boston Dynamics’ newly redesigned Spot Mini has figured out how to open doors — with either its arm or face, depending on how you look at it. The team behind the Big Dog proves that it’s still the master of viral robotic marketing, even after switching teams from Google to SoftBank. Three months after debuting a more streamlined version of its electronic Spot Mini, the company’s got another teaser, wherein one robot equipped with a head-mounted arm makes (relatively) quick work of a door, letting his pal waltz through. VIDEO The video’s impressive for both the agility of the arm itself, as well as the robot’s ability to maintain balance as it swings open what looks to be a fairly heavy door. “Clever girl,” indeed. Like the last video, the teaser doesn’t offer a ton of insight into what’s new with the bumble bee-colored version of the company’s already announced robot. Last time out it appeared as though we got a preview of a pair of Kinect-style 3D cameras that could give a little more insight into the robot’s navigation system. That tech seemed to hint at the possibility of an advanced autonomous control system. Given the brevity of the video, however, it’s tough to say whether someone’s controlling the ‘bots just out of frame. If the company managed to program Spot Mini to actually open the door on its own in order to help free its friend, well, perhaps it’s time to be concerned.
Just as the Daleks in Doctor Who are a metaphor for the human condition, so too is this film about the human condition. A marketing video from Boston Dynamics shows the dog-like robot using a new mounted arm attachment in order to independently open a heavy door. The video shows one Spot Mini (without arm) enlisting the services of its upgraded friend to let it through a door. However, it's unclear from the video to what extent the robots are acting and communicating independently.