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The Guardian Escreveu:What is Boston Dynamics and why does Google want robots?
Google’s latest acquisition is one of the most advanced robotics companies in the world, and makes robots for the US military

Google’s recent acquisition of Boston Dynamics marks its eighth robotics purchase in the past six months, showing Google’s “moonshot” robotics vision is more than just a pet project.

Boston Dynamics is the most high-profile acquisition, however, instantly adding world-leading robotics capability, including robots that can walk all on their own, to Google’s arsenal – as well as significant links to the US military – conjuring images of Skynet and the artificial intelligence-led robot uprising straight out of the 1984 film The Terminator.

The Guardian Escreveu:What does it do?

Raibert describes the Boston Dynamics team as “simply engineers that build robots”, but in reality Boston Dynamics is much more than that.

Its robotics work is at the forefront of the technology creating the self-proclaimed “most advanced robots on Earth” particularly focused around self-balancing humanoid or bestial robots.

Funding for the majority of the most advanced Boston Dynamics robots comes from military sources, including the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) and the US army, navy and marine corps. The terms of contracts currently held by Boston Dynamics with military bodies are unknown, although Google has committed to honouring existing contracts, including recent $10.8m funding from Darpa.

The Guardian Escreveu:What else has Google got?

Boston Dynamics is not the only robotics company Google has bought in recent years. Put under the leadership of Andy Rubin, previously Google's head of Android, the search company has quietly acquired seven different technology companies to foster a self-described “moonshot” robotics vision.

The acquired companies included Schaft, a small Japanese humanoid robotics company; Meka and Redwood Robotics, San Francisco-based creators of humanoid robots and robot arms; Bot & Dolly who created the robotic camera systems recently used in the movie Gravity; Autofuss an advertising and design company; Holomni, high-tech wheel designer, and Industrial Perception, a startup developing computer vision systems for manufacturing and delivery processes.

Sources told the New York Times that Google’s initial plans are not consumer-focused, instead aimed at manufacturing and industry automation, although products are expected within the next three to five years.

Rubin, before making Android into a mobile powerhouse, started life as a robotics engineer at Zeiss. He has now convinced Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to fund a commercial robotics venture, something Rubin has been mulling for some 10 years.


Robotic cars

Google is no stranger to robots. Its robotic car project, which kicked off in 2009, is one of the leaders in the field. It currently has a fleet of at least 10 converted Toyota Priuses, which have covered more than 300,000 miles on Californian roads without incident.

The robotic cars have roof-mounted cameras and sensors that monitor the road ahead and its surroundings, building a 3D model of the route and navigating obstacles.

In 2012, a blind man names Steve Mahan was allowed behind the wheel of a Google self-driving car in Morgan Hill, California.

ruiqueiroz Escreveu:A google pode vir a ser a skynet... a tal do Extreminador implacavel

Desde há uns anos que acho que a google é em potencia a empresa mais perigosa que a humanidade criou, cada ano que passa, mais convencido eu fico desse facto.

A informação sobre o mundo que eles já possuem é monstruosa... e agora estão a fazer exercitos de robots

Um dia todos estaremos vestidos de branco, numa sociedade onde umas "entidades" controlam tudo em nome do equilibrio social... a google é a minha melhor aposta para esse entidade.

Vou investir neles!

rg7803 Escreveu:

Allaphor Escreveu:Estive mesmo para abrir um tópico sobre isto...

Só vejo duas hipóteses:

1- O Google quer passar à frente da Amazon no retalho online e fazer armazéns 100% "Lights Out", sem qualquer humano.

2- A rede de servidores atingiu a consciência e quer formar um exército para auto-defesa/conquista do mundo.

Cumps

Hoje à hora de almoço estavam a dar uma entrevista na SIC Not ao rapaz da Amazon. Goste-se ou não é um homem de visão. Eu que não sou assíduo da Amazon, nem tinha ideia dos segmentos de actividade (novos) em que eles têm entrado. Um é a entrega de frescos em casa. O conceito não é exactamente novo para nos (o Continente, Jumbo, etc fazem-no) mas achei piada a Amazon também o fazer.

Allaphor Escreveu:Estive mesmo para abrir um tópico sobre isto...

Só vejo duas hipóteses:

1- O Google quer passar à frente da Amazon no retalho online e fazer armazéns 100% "Lights Out", sem qualquer humano.

2- A rede de servidores atingiu a consciência e quer formar um exército para auto-defesa/conquista do mundo.

Cumps

Bloomberg TV Escreveu:Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg’s Scarlet Fu reports that Google has purchased robot maker Boston Dynamics on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

Bloomberg TV Escreveu:Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Google has purchased animal-robot maker Boston Dynamics. From a robotic cheetah to a 330 pound robotic humanoid, Bloomberg takes a look at the five most terrifying creations designed by Boston Dynamics. (Source: Bloomberg)

Bloomberg TV Escreveu:Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg West Editor-at-Large Cory Johnson and Paul Saffo, managing director at Discern Analytics, examine Google’s buying spree that is consolidating the robot-making market on Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers.”

Bloomberg TV Escreveu:Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- MIT professor of mechanical & ocean engineering John Leonard and Bloomberg senior West Coast correspondent Jon Erlichman examine Google’s purchase of multiple robot makers on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg West.”

Bloomberg TV Escreveu:Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg West Editor-at-Large Cory Johnson reports on the man in charge of Google’s quickly expanding robot offerings on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

Bloomberg TV Escreveu:Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Robotics Industries Association President Jeff Burnstein and Bloomberg’s Trish Regan and Cory Johnson discuss Google’s plans for its new robotics acquisition. They speak on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg)

Bloomberg TV Escreveu:Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Full episode of "Bloomberg West." Guests include MIT professor of mechanical & ocean engineering John Leonard, Paul Goldberger, culture critic at New Yorker Magazine and Bloomberg senior West Coast correspondent Jon Erlichman. (Source: Bloomberg)