As much as people fear contracting Coronavirus they are also scared of getting in touch with too many people. Especially cause we have become loners of sorts who have survived the past few months without human interaction and triumphed. It is the need of the hour to operate our lives and our businesses with as minimum human contact as possible. How does one accomplish that? With the help of robots, and fortunately, robot maker Boston Dynamics has finally put its four-legged robot Spot on general sale. The company announced that businesses can pre-order Spot for a mere $74,500. It’s not a small price but for a four-legged robot with umpteen capabilities, it is measly. This tech-pet will come with two batteries, a battery charger, a tablet controller, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, runs Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, connects directly to the payload port to draw power and includes Boston Dynamics’ APIs. What can one expect from the most advanced mobile robot in the world? Spot 2.0, boasts of several features like surveying and data collection. It creates 3D maps of construction sites and hunts for machine faults in offshore oil rigs. It can also be applied to other fields like healthcare, security, and perhaps even bomb squads. Its most special feature is that of a multipurpose “mobility platform” that can be personalized with different sensors and programmed to conduct patrols and inspections. This makes it the right kind of robot for industrial and commercial customers wherein a repeated set of commands has to be carried throughout the day, something that would drive a human insane. Apart from the mobile platform, another added and striking feature is- remote teleoperation. In lay-mans terms, you can test-drive this robot right from the comforts of your home before the purchase in the company’s headquarters. All you need to do is log in to a web app on Boston Dynamics’ site, set up your personal camera, company cameras, Spot’s camera, and then use WASD keys to maneuver the robot around. Interested parties should know this is one athletic tech-pet that runs at 5.2 feet per second, has cameras for eyes that give it a 360-degree range of vision, is dust- and water-proof, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -4 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
Not only will this give you a clear sense of how the robot moves you will also find it adjusting its stance if it tips over; it is designed to traverse rough terrain, can climb stairs, and still operates easily indoors without running into walls. Interest in robots has spiked during the coronavirus pandemic, as companies seek ways to safeguard human lives while also operating with less staff. Boston Dynamics plans sell up to 1,000 robots a year, which may not be enough. If you can’t wait to get Boston Dynamics’ robot dog home you need to know it sells for $74,500 and takes 6-8 weeks to ship.
[Via: Extreme Tech]
