Meet The Boston Dynamics Family Of Robots

Boston Dynamics is ones of the best-known names in the world of robotics. Founded in 1992, it is a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and after several changes of ownership is not part of the Japanese SoftBank Group. Since it was formed it has worked in conjunction with the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). They are one of the most advanced companies in the world of robotics and have developed a whole family of robots.

Family Of Robots Members

There are several members to the family of robots that Boston Dynamics has developed, but here we will discuss the best-known ones.

Handle is a robot with both legs and wheels, which means it can manage to travel over most terrains. With onIy10 actuated joints it is less complex than many robots, but they are all coordinated to deliver high performance. Its wheels are fast and its legs are flexible and the combination of the two gives it the best of both worlds.

Handle can pick up heavy loads while in quite a small space, making it a useful robot for many different industries.

Spot-Mini is a small, four-legged, all-electric robot that has been designed for use in the home or office. It is the quietest robot that Boston Dynamics has built. It has more sensors than its predecessor, Spot, and is more nimble. It includes several sensors, stereo cameras, and depth cameras to help it pick up and handle objects with ease.

Spot-Mini can climb stairs and operate outside as well as inside. In fact, it can run for as long as 90 minutes on one charge, depending on the task it is undertaking.

Atlas is probably the most famous of the Boston Dynamics family of robots. It was all over the media when they showed Atlas doing backflips, and this was achieved because of the latest technology used in the control systems. These allow system coordinate control of arms, torso, and legs, which gives whole-body mobile manipulation.

The most humanoid of the Boston Dynamics family of robots, Atlas has the ability to travel over all types of terrains, in all types of weather and if it is jostled or pushed over, it has the ability to get up again.

Other Family Members

There are several other members of the family of robots that are just as clever as the ones mentioned above. BigDog, for instance, is able to work with soldiers to carry their goods where vehicles cannot go. Cheetah is a four-legged robot that runs at great speeds for a robot and can also climb stairs. Petman is a device developed to test chemical protection suits, and LS3 which is also known as AlphaDog is a militarized version of BigDog that can work in all different types of conditions, no matter how bad they are.