CEO of robot company says his creepy headless machines could soon roam the streets
US robotics company has made nine prototypes which can navigate different surfaces and obstructions
Marc Raibert lives in the uncanny valley — and he thinks you should, too.
Raibert, founder and CEO of the robotics company Boston Dynamics, gave an April 25 TED talk in which he outlined the many uses his robots could have in the near future.
Imagine Spot, a robot dog, moseying up to your front door to deliver a package. And imagine that the person who placed the package on Spot’s back wasn’t actually a person, but a fully upright humanoid that works in a nearby factory at super-human speed.
Raibert also sees his robots entering risky military operations, clearing out disaster zones (he visited Fukushima recently), or helping aging relatives get in and out of bed.
“The sky is the limit,” Raibert said on the TED stage.
Boston Dynamics first gained popularity (or notoriety, depending on your gut reaction to its jerky, headless robots) back in 2008. “Big Dog,” as the robot was known, galloped at an alarming pace across the blacktop of a parking lot.
