Robots are coming: Boston Dynamics is preparing for the commercial launch of Spot

We were surprised, surprised and – let’s face it – a bit terrified, and now the Boston Dynamics robots are coming to the general public. The company, which has become famous in recent years among technology enthusiasts, has made significant progress in the world of robotics, showing them step by step through videos of a few seconds but at the same time engaging. And, after a few years, one of his robots is ready for mainstream adoption.

We are talking about Spot, the robotic ” dog ” (although we’d better talk about quadruped) which is the first unit of the company to face rigorous tests before being marketed. Although the field of robotics arouses much interest, not many have great hopes or expectations in the sector.

Boston Dynamics seems to be one of the very few names willing to invest in this market, but to date has never given any indication of a possible commercialization of one of its robots.

Spot is currently undergoing various ” proof-of-concept ” tests to identify a target audience potentially interested in its technology. Among the experiments, we have the delivery of packages or tools, surveillance activities, or other similar activities. Based on the outcome of the testing process, the unit could be put up for sale by the end of 2019 at a price not yet announced. We do not know in which capacity Spot will be sold.

Apparently, it should have all the features we’ve seen on video, but for surveillance or delivery of objects it should have technologies missing to date in the robots of the company we’ve seen over the years.

Furthermore, while on the one hand Boston Dynamics says that Spot is able to operate in total autonomy, on the other it is clear that the small quadruped will need supervision and human assistance in some circumstances.

There is also the risk of malfunctioning of the units, foreseeable when talking about new technologies, and at the same time there will be no real experts able to solve problems in a short time. It will be to see how Boston Dynamics decides to address the issue.

According to Number inconsistencyvarious rumors, the company wants to sell spotSpot as a mobility platform with various possibilities for customization, but everything will have to be seen in the field, especially based on the versatility of the robot and what it will really be able to do better than humans.

To date, it seems unlikely that these units could ” steal ” the work of the operators in the flesh, this is a small step forward in that direction. Only a few dozen robots have been produced by Boston Dynamics, and the production capacity that the company can truly boast of will be seen. Producing them in volumes could be a very big obstacle for the company, but the future seems to be already traced and inevitable.