This Friday, March 4, Hyundai, which since the end of 2020 has held nearly 80% of the shares of Boston Dynamics, presented the “robot-dog” Spot in France for the very first time. Although he wasn’t designed to be man’s best friend, he really gives the impression with his quadrupedal mimics.
Indeed, the machine is above all a utility. Hyundai uses it in particular to monitor its factories in Korea, when other firms have customized it to meet other needs: logistics, rescue, tracking… everything is possible, since it comes with an SDK. So you can teach it new tasks and add features if you have $74,500, its selling price.
According to the manufacturer, Spot weighs just under 40 kg, can run up to 5 to 6 km/h and operate for 1 hour 30 minutes. Preheating the batteries for approximately 7 minutes is however necessary before each use. We were able to have fun moving it around using a huge joystick surrounding a tablet.
Progress in Humanity
By acquiring Boston Dynamics, Hyundai intends to develop better logistics platforms, but also to improve the mobility of people. All the technologies embedded in robots like Spot (sensors, batteries) will be reused in the vehicles of tomorrow, like the Seven concept. Moreover, nearly 20% of the brand’s investments today go to robotics.
If you are intrigued by this robot, know that Spot will be visible on Sunday March 6 at the Paris half-marathon where it will complete the last kilometer.