It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Robot dog outfitted with machine gun in Russia brings us closer to real-life ‘Black Mirror’
Jane Nam Fri, July 22, 2022
A robot dog modified to include a machine gun on the top half of its body has captured the attention of the internet with its sophisticated design resembling something out of a sci-fi thriller.
As shown in the video, which has garnered over 7.3 million views on Twitter, a silver-colored robot dog runs along a firing range as it opens fire on various targets.
All the people who laughed off the “worrywarts” years ago for freaking out about the Funny Dancing Robot Dogs (tm) should be forced to watch this video once a day for the remainder of the year. pic.twitter.com/WBIrlGah3w — Sean Chiplock (@sonicmega) July 20, 2022
The gunfire is scarily powerful, with bullets coming out in short, sharp staccatos. Despite the snowy terrain, the robot dog is able to move around fairly quickly.
On July 17, NowThis News released a clip of Boston Dynamic’s 5-feet-tall, 190-pound “humanoid robot” named Atlas running and leaping over obstacles, causing many netizens to connect the robot dog to the U.S. company’s designs.
While the author of the Twitter post, @sonicmega, also references the “Funny Dancing Robot Dogs” made by U.S. company Boston Dynamics, other users noted that the design closely resembles that of China’s Unitree Robots.
According to Cybernews, Sophos Senior Threat Researcher Sean Gallagher likens the model seen in the video to the Hangzhou-based company and its Go1 robot dog model, which retails for around $3,000.
When one user claimed the robot to be fake, one netizen responded by tracing the video back to the original post in March by Russian businessman Alexander Atamanov, the founder of a hoverbike company.
The clip of the robot dog appears to have been taken in Russia, as its left flank bears the Russian flag and the other side a wolf’s head, which is an insignia commonly used by the Russian Special Operations Forces.
A parked armored vehicle seen in the video can be identified by its distinct triangular door as a BRDM-2, which has been recently spotted in Ukraine.
How Google is teaching a robot dog to learn to move like a real dog
YOU KNOW ITS REAL WHEN IT LEARNS TO SNIFF BUTTS
by Bob Yirka , Tech Xplore
Robot imitating various skills from a dog. Credit: Google
A team of researchers at Google's AI lab is seeing results in its effort to develop a dog-like robot quadruped that learns dog behavior by studying how real dogs move. The team has posted an outline of the work they are doing on the Google AI blog. Training a robot to perform tasks by mimicking the movements of a living creature is not new—robot arms that build cars, for example, are taught how to spot weld or tighten bolts by mimicking the desired action as performed by a human arm. But teaching a robot by showing it video of a real dog is definitely new. And that is just what Google is doing. The robot in this case is a quadruped called Laikago (after Laika, the first dog in space)—it is being trained to walk, run and even chase its tail like a real dog by showing it motion-capture footage of a real dog in action.
In practice, the video is actually first processed by an AI system that translates the action in the video into an animated version of Laikago. To work out possible interpretation errors (because the digital dog is made from metal and wire and motors instead of bones, muscles and sinews), the team shows the AI system multiple stop-action videos of a real dog in action. The AI system builds up a toolset of possible moves depending on scenarios that might be encountered in the real world. Once the simulation has built up a knowledge base, its "brain" is uploaded to Laikago, who then uses what the simulation has learned as a starting point for its own behavior.
Video of Laikago in action shows that the technique works—the robotic dog is able to walk and trot very much like a real dog—and even simulates chasing its tail. But it also has some deficiencies compared to other advanced robotic animals, such as those from Boston Dynamics,which get their skills through programming—getting back on its feet after stumbling or tripping, for example, is still troublesome. But the researchers at Google are undaunted, believing more research will lead to ever more lifelike behavior by their robot.
Telus Spark's new robotic dog Flint leading kids to science and technology
'All day, every day, it’s roaming around the science centre. Basically wherever you are in the building, the robot can go'
Author of the article:
Brodie Thomas
Publishing date:
Nov 21, 2021 •
The TELUS Spark Science Centre has adopted a new ambassador of digital literacy, technology and coding. Flint is a robot dog made by Boston Dynamics which will be used to help students learn coding.Brendan Miller/Postmedia
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It may not be furry, cute or cuddly, but Flint the robot dog is still inspiring the kind of interest and attention from kids that one would expect from any young pup.
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“Whenever I’m in the building, anytime I see a crowd from my office, I can usually identify exactly where the robot is,” said Brian Murray, production manager at the Telus Spark science centre.
Flint is a “Spot Explorer” model robot built by Boston Dynamics, the Massachusetts-based company famous for making robots in both human and dog form.
Murray said the purchase of Flint was made possible by an anonymous donation from a Calgary benefactor who “cares deeply about the possibilities in technology” and who wants to get underprivileged kids involved in coding and digital literacy.
Flint cost US$56,650 and arrived in Calgary this August. After some time behind the scenes, it is now making regular appearances around the Telus Spark building every day, which is currently open Wednesday through Sunday.
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Murray said they’ve built a small home and fenced-in yard where Flint lives. It often takes a break at lunch, but is otherwise walking throughout the building most days.
Brian Murray poses with Flint the robot dog made by Boston Dynamics. Flint is a quadruped robot that can walk up stairs and across uneven surfaces.Brendan Miller/Postmedia
“All day, every day, it’s roaming around the science centre,” said Murray. “Basically wherever you are in the building, the robot can go.”
Flint can be controlled via remote control by its handlers, but it also has five onboard cameras and is capable of self-navigating to waypoints. It can walk up stairs or across uneven terrain.
It can also be programmed to dance elaborate routines to music with special software provided by Boston Dynamics.
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The science centre invited science communication ambassadors and actual dogs Bunsen and Beaker from Red Deer to meet Flint earlier this month.
Jason Zackowski is the voice of Bunsen and Beaker, and their account is one of the biggest science communication accounts on Twitter. He said the robot dog was a bit puzzling for the pooches — especially the younger dog Beaker.
“She kept trying to sniff its butt and get its attention,” said Zackowski. “She was trying to follow it and try to maybe play with it.”
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Zackowski, who is also a high school chemistry teacher, said Flint will no doubt help inspire kids on the incredible possibilities of technology and robotics.
“I can only imagine how excited kids are when they see it,” he said. “If you can engage kids, that’s when you can teach them and that’s when the learning happens.”
Murray said they have big plans for Flint in the coming months. Beyond just wandering around and meeting people, they hope to include the robot in programming workshops.
They also hope to eventually hack Flint to accomplish new tasks. The robot has cargo rails that will allow them to add on homemade accessories.
IMAGE: "THE QUESTION HERE WAS HOW DO WE GET THE ROBOT TO LEARN A SKILL? " SAID LEAD AUTHOR ANDREW HUNDT, A PHD STUDENT WORKING IN JOHNS HOPKINS' COMPUTATIONAL INTERACTION AND ROBOTICS... view more
CREDIT: WILL KIRK/JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
With a training technique commonly used to teach dogs to sit and stay, Johns Hopkins University computer scientists showed a robot how to teach itself several new tricks, including stacking blocks. With the method, the robot, named Spot, was able to learn in days what typically takes a month.
By using positive reinforcement, an approach familiar to anyone who's used treats to change a dog's behavior, the team dramatically improved the robot's skills and did it quickly enough to make training robots for real-world work a more feasible enterprise. The findings are newly published in a paper called, "Good Robot!"
"The question here was how do we get the robot to learn a skill?" said lead author Andrew Hundt, a PhD student working in Johns Hopkins' Computational Interaction and Robotics Laboratory. "I've had dogs so I know rewards work and that was the inspiration for how I designed the learning algorithm."
Unlike humans and animals that are born with highly intuitive brains, computers are blank slates and must learn everything from scratch. But true learning is often accomplished with trial and error, and roboticists are still figuring out how robots can learn efficiently from their mistakes.
The team accomplished that here by devising a reward system that works for a robot the way treats work for a dog. Where a dog might get a cookie for a job well done, the robot earned numeric points.
Hundt recalled how he once taught his terrier mix puppy named Leah the command "leave it," so she could ignore squirrels on walks. He used two types of treats, ordinary trainer treats and something even better, like cheese. When Leah was excited and sniffing around the treats, she got nothing. But when she calmed down and looked away, she got the good stuff. "That's when I gave her the cheese and said, 'Leave it! Good Leah!'"
Similarly, to stack blocks, Spot the robot needed to learn how to focus on constructive actions. As the robot explored the blocks, it quickly learned that correct behaviors for stacking earned high points, but incorrect ones earned nothing. Reach out but don't grasp a block? No points. Knock over a stack? Definitely no points. Spot earned the most by placing the last block on top of a four-block stack.
The training tactic not only worked, it took just days to teach the robot what used to take weeks. The team was able to reduce the practice time by first training a simulated robot, which is a lot like a video game, then running tests with Spot.
"The robot wants the higher score," Hundt said. "It quickly learns the right behavior to get the best reward. In fact, it used to take a month of practice for the robot to achieve 100% accuracy. We were able to do it in two days."
Positive reinforcement not only worked to help the robot teach itself to stack blocks, with the point system the robot just as quickly learned several other tasks - even how to play a simulated navigation game. The ability to learn from mistakes in all types of situations is critical for designing a robot that could adapt to new environments.
"At the start the robot has no idea what it's doing but it will get better and better with each practice. It never gives up and keeps trying to stack and is able to finish the task 100% of the time," Hundt said.
The team imagines these findings could help train household robots to do laundry and wash dishes - tasks that could be popular on the open market and help seniors live independently. It could also help design improved self-driving cars.
"Our goal is to eventually develop robots that can do complex tasks in the real world -- like product assembly, caring for the elderly and surgery," Hager said. "We don't currently know how to program tasks like that -- the world is too complex. But work like this shows us that there is promise to the idea that robots can learn how to accomplish such real-world tasks in a safe and efficient way."
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The team and co-authors included Johns Hopkins graduate students Andrew Hundt, Benjamin Killeen, Nicholas Greene, Heeyeon Kwon, and Hongtao Wu; former graduate student Chris Paxton; and Gregory D. Hager, the Mandell Bellmore Professor of Computer Science.
Monday, January 01, 2024
‘Robot Dreams’ Review: Androids Dream of Disco Beats In Pablo Berger’s Sweetly Sorrowful Buddy Movie
Android or artificial intelligence isn’t the enemy in “Robot Dreams,” Pablo Berger’s gently whimsical fantasy of a loner finding manufactured friendship in a scuzzy vision of 1980s New York City. Indeed, one takeaway from this portrait of a shabby-happy Big Apple populated solely with anthropomorphic animals and surprisingly sensitive automatons is that the world might be a better place without humans in it. Like “Blancanieves,” his silent, flamenco-styled spin on Snow White, Berger’s fourth feature dispenses with dialogue in favor of cheerfully expressive, faux-naive visual storytelling. In all other respects, however, “Robot Dreams” is a significant left turn for the Spanish writer-director, beginning with an entirely fresh medium for him: simple, sharp-lined 2D animation in the manner of a pastel-softened “BoJack Horseman.”
Both the film’s aesthetic and its wordless approach, however, are rooted in American author and illustrator Sara Varon’s 2007 graphic novel of the same name. Where Varon’s work was primarily targeted at young readers, the audience for Berger’s film — suffused with nostalgia for a Reagan-era New York of roller discos and boomboxes on the sidewalks — is a little harder to pin down. It’s certainly clean enough for kids, with little of the snark or cynicism that drives similarly hip-looking adult animation, though small fry might be perplexed by its drifting, low-incident narrative and overriding air of melancholy. Still, it’s in such odd, in-between niches that cult items can bloom; already well-received at such festivals at Cannes and Annecy, “Robot Dreams” should build a sufficient following to prove its own message to the lonely and forlorn: when it comes to love, quality trumps quantity.
What kind of love, exactly, is the most intriguing question in a tale that hints at a degree of queer companionship between its two seemingly (though not definitively) male-gendered principals, all while remaining wholesomely chaste. (Given they’re a dog and a mechanical robot, it’s hard to imagine how things could be otherwise.) Unnamed protagonist Dog is introduced living a solitary life in the East Village, following a fixed routine of work, walks and glumly microwaved TV dinners — paid no mind by anyone, save the pigeons crowding around his apartment window. He’s a stoic soul, but everyone has a limit: Late one night, inspired by an infomercial on his ever-blaring television set, he orders a flatpack build-your-own-robot-kit, promoted in much the same manner as a set of Ginsu steak knives.
Whatever it costs, it’s worth it. From the moment of assembly, the unnamed Robot improbably turns out to be a most affectionate and responsive compadre, forever fixated on his canine owner with a metallic grin and perma-wide eyes. He’s not much of a conversationalist, but then neither is Dog. Their summer days are spent sightseeing, sunbathing, hotdog-eating, rollerskating through Central Park — generally taking Manhattan in more or less the manner Cole Porter described decades before, though their special song is Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.” That ever-elastic disco nugget soundtracks multiple buddy montages of varying mood and motion: Its ebullience matches the effervescent early stages of their friendship, only to gradually become an ironic counterpoint in a story of loss and subconscious yearning.
For September comes, and with it, separation: After a day’s gambolling at Coney Island, Robot’s sea-soaked joints swiftly rust, rendering him immobile. Unable to carry his pal home, and with the beach thereafter closed for the winter, Dog must endure the winter alone — all while the abandoned Robot withers and freezes in the cold, his parts plundered by piratical critters. Only in multiple dream sequences (thus part-answering Philip K. Dick’s burning question about androids, though no electric sheep are in evidence) can he attempt a reunion with Dog. Spring will come, as will some manner of closure, though it’s fair to say the uncompromised joys of the film’s opening acts are never regained. Counter to happily-ever-after endings of the Disney variety, “Robot Dreams” embraces the pleasingly mature philosophy that there can be more than one soulmate in an individual’s life, and that a finite relationship isn’t a failed one.
It’s a poignant arc that perhaps isn’t quite robust enough to power a 100-minute feature given to rhythmic and narrative repetition. “Robot Dreams” would have been no less effective or affecting as a short subject, though that format would have admittedly kerbed the gleeful volume of nifty visual gags that Berger packs around his sweet, slender story — many of them wittily attuned to the period (frozen food and advertising trends of the era come in for a good ribbing) and the anything-goes street life of New York itself. Above all else, Berger’s film delights in the kind of eccentric, incidental sights and sounds from which dreams — human, animal or android — can spring.
Friday, August 18, 2023
New program takes us one step closer to autonomous robots
by Peter Grad , Tech Xplore
Feasibility verification for push door with recoil behaviors. Credit: Science Robotics (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adg5014
We've watched the remarkable evolution of robotics over the past decade with models that can walk, talk and make gestures like humans, undertake tasks from moving heavy machinery to delicately manipulating tiny objects, and maintain balance on two or four legs over rough and hostile terrain.
As impressive as the latest robots are, their accomplishments are largely the result of task-specific programming or remote instruction from humans.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a program that helps robots tackle activities that do not rely on "prerecorded expert demonstrations," as the developers put it, or "densely engineered rewards."
Instead, they designed an approach in which the robot can "rapidly discover a feasible and near optimal multi-modal sequence that solves the task." In other words, they provide an environment in which robots can achieve objectives with minimal guidance from human operators.
The research was reported in the Aug. 16 edition of Science Robotics. The paper, "Versatile multicontact planning and control for legged loco-manipulation," was prepared by Jean-Pierre Sleiman, Farbod Farshidian and Marco Hunter of the Robotic Systems Lab at the public research university ETH Zurich.
"Given high-level descriptions of the robot and object, along with a task specification encoded through a sparse objective," Sleiman said, "our planner holistically discovers how the robot should move, what forces it should exert, what limbs it should use, as well as when and where it should establish or break contact with the object."
Demonstration videos show ANYbotics' quadrupedal ANYmal mastering the opening of a dishwasher door and deftly opening a weighted door and keeping it open with a leg while maneuvering through.
"The framework can be readily adapted to different kinds of mobile manipulators," Sleiman said.
The last several years have seen great strides in robotic development. Boston Dynamics, a leading player in the field of robotics, created Atlas in 2013. With stereo vision and fine motor abilities, it could maintain balance in a hostile environment. It eventually was improved to get in and out of vehicles, open doors and handle power equipment. Agility Robotics' Cassie in 2016 exhibited superior walking and running capacity.
In 2017, a lifelike Sophia that smoothly mimicked human gestures and behavior was dispatched to assist the elderly in nursing facilities and play with children. And highly advanced tactile manipulation was demonstrated in 2019 with OpenAI's Dactyl: After training sessions that its developers estimated would take humans 13,000 years to complete, the single-handed Dactyl could easily manipulate a Rubik's cube and solve the 3D combination puzzle, which has stymied millions of users since its release in 1974, in just four minutes.
Planning and control architecture for multicontact loco-manipulation. Credit: Science Robotics (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adg5014
More recently, the last few years have seen Boston Dynamics' four-legged Spot, which can walk three miles, climb hills, conquer obstacles and perform specialized tasks. And Ameca, considered one of the most—if not the most—lifelike robot, engages in smooth conversation and generates facial expressions and hand gestures that are remarkably humanlike.
ETH Zurich, which would take the grand accomplishments of its predecessors and eliminate—or at least greatly reduce—the need for humans to control robots behind the scenes, has taken a key step in the next stage of robot development.
More information: Jean-Pierre Sleiman et al, Versatile multicontact planning and control for legged loco-manipulation, Science Robotics (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adg5014
Lifelike robots and android dogs wow visitors at Beijing robotics fair
A human-like robot performs near robots of faces that mimic human expressions during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.
Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Winking, grimacing or nodding their heads, robots mimicked the expressions of visitors at a robot expo in Beijing.
They were among the creations dazzling people attending the annual World Robot Conference, where companies showed off robots designed for a wide range of uses, including manufacturing, surgery and companionship.
The animatronic heads and humanoid robots on display at the EX Robots booth this week personified the image of what robots are supposed to be in the popular imagination, with synthetic skin and lifelike facial expressions complimented by moving arms and hands.
CEO Li Boyang said they're ideal for roles that require interacting with the public, such as in museums, tourist attractions, school settings and "companion scenarios."
Doggie droids—a mainstay of high tech fairs—were out in force. Canine robots shook hands with fairgoers and performed handstands on their front paws.
Elsewhere at the fair, robotic arms served Chinese tea, prepared ice cream cones, bounced ping pong balls and gave visitors back massages.
Harvesting robots demonstrated how they could pick apples off the branch, while an artist robot drew portraits of visitors.
Industrial robot arms for factory production lines also grabbed focus. One of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's goals is to move the country's vast manufacturing sector away from low-cost creation of cheap goods into more high-tech production, and industrial robots will be an important element of that plan.
Human like robots and robotic faces that mimic human expressions are displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A worker charges robots displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors watch human-like robots and robotic faces that mimic human expressions during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A man looks at the industrial robotic arms from Yaskawa Shougang Robot Co. Ltd on display at the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors watch a robotic arm playing a table tennis ball during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
An exhibitor watches a visitor receiving a massage by a robotic arm during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at the remote control robots perform during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A visitor touches robotic fingers during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at robots perform on stage during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A robot face capable of mimicking human like expressions is displayed near robotic arms at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
An exhibitor teaches a visitor to control a robotic arm during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at a robotic arm performs a Chinese tea serving during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A woman poses in front of a six arm robot at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors look at robot palms during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Children gather to watch a robotic arm perform ice cream serving during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at remotely controled robots perform a jump during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A device for scanning the human brain to help diagnose mental afflictions is displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
An exhibitor walks with his robot passing by visitors during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at a remote control robot perform a walk during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Robotic arms perform near a robotic face capable of mimicking human-like expressions during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A human like cyborg and an image of a robot dog is displayed at the Xiaomi booth at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A robot receptionist with a screen showing Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors look at an exhibitor showcasing a walking robot during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at a robotic arm performs a Chinese tea serving during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors take a close look at an artificial heart during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Children watch a 2-wheel robot perform at the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
An exhibitor walks with his robot passing by visitors during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A panda shaped robot is prepared for a demonstration at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A man tests a device that uses brain activities and virtual reality to control other machines at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Workers sit near images of robotic arms from Estun a Chinese manufacturer of industrial robots at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A woman pushes robots around at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A worker stands next to apples harvesting robot displayed at the annual World Robot Conference held at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors record a robot that can draw portraits for them at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A man prepares to demonstrate a robot capable of walking on two limbs at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
An artificial heart is displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Workers demonstrate a giant robot at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Earlier this week, we learned that Boston Dynamics is suing competitor Ghost Robotics for allegedly infringing on seven patents related to the former’s Spot quadruped robot. Filed in Delaware Federal court on November 11, 2022, Boston Dynamics takes issue with both Ghost Robotics’ Vision 60 and Sprint 40 quadrupeds.
Boston Dynamics was founded in 1992 and has worked on a variety of legged robots, both two-legged and four-legged versions. Ghost Robotics was founded in 2015 and has focused exclusively on quadrupeds.
According to the complaint, “Boston Dynamics’ early success with the Spot robot did not go unnoticed by competitors in the robotics industry, including Ghost Robotics.”
Here’s what Boston Dynamics told The Robot Report earlier this week via email: “We do not comment on the specifics of pending litigation. Innovation is the lifeblood of Boston Dynamics, and our roboticists have successfully filed approximately 500 patents and patent applications worldwide. We welcome competition in the emerging mobile robotics market, but we expect all companies to respect intellectual property rights, and we will take action when those rights are violated.”
Ghost Robotics just sent the following statement to The Robot Report:
“Founded in 2015, Ghost Robotics has quickly grown to become the number one supplier of legged robots to US and Allied Governments. The flagship Vision 60 robot offers best-in-class endurance, speed, weather protection, and field repairability. It is the only legged robot on the market that is capable of operating in all environmental conditions for sustained, real-world missions to improve efficiency and save lives.
“Evolving from close customer collaboration, coupled with exceptional innovation at Ghost Robotics, these capabilities have led to rapid adoption by US Air Force, Army, and Special Forces as well as Allied Governments including the UK, Australia, Israel, Germany, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea Blue House.
“Ghost Robotics was born out of the PhD research of CTO Avik De and CEO Gavin Kenneally, under the tutelage of the esteemed Prof. Dan Koditschek at The University of Pennsylvania. Prof. Koditschek is a pioneer in the field of legged robots and holds the patent (jointly with his former students, Martin Buehler and Uluc Saranli) for the first battery-powered, dynamic legged robot, RHex (US6481513B2, filed March 14, 2001).
“Ghost Robotics’ success has not gone unnoticed by Boston Dynamics. Rather than compete on a level playing field, the company chose to file an obstructive and baseless lawsuit on November 11th in an attempt to halt the newcomer’s progress. Boston Dynamics is drawing on their considerably larger resources to litigate instead of innovate.
“Ghost Robotics strongly believes that fair competition drives the market and looks forward to a thriving legged robot industry, for the benefit of humanity.”
These are three of the first quadruped robots to ever be available commercially. We will keep an eye on how this plays out in court. Other quadruped makers include ANYbotics (Switzerland) and Unitree Robotics (China).
Ghost Robotics fires back against ‘baseless’ Boston Dynamics lawsuit
A legal dispute over robotic patents is devolving into a war of words, as Ghost Robotics fires back against Boston Dynamics. The Philadelphia firm calls the suit both “obstructive and baseless” in a statement sent to TechCrunch. It notes, in part,
Ghost Robotics’ success has not gone unnoticed by Boston Dynamics. Rather than compete on a level playing field, the company chose to file an obstructive and baseless lawsuit on November 11th in an attempt to halt the newcomer’s progress. Boston Dynamics is drawing on their considerably larger resources to litigate instead of innovate.
Ghost’s statement, in which it refers to itself as “the number one supplier of legged robots to US and Allied Governments,” follows press reports of a lengthy suit filed by Boston Dynamics in a Delaware court. It adds that the company has its roots in its own legged robotic research, writing, “Ghost Robotics was born out of the PhD research of CTO Avik De and CEO Gavin Kenneally, under the tutelage of the esteemed Prof. Dan Koditschek at The University of Pennsylvania. Prof. Koditschek is a pioneer in the field of legged robots and holds the patent (jointly with his former students, Martin Buehler and Uluc Saranli) for the first battery-powered, dynamic legged robot, RHex (US6481513B2, filed March 14, 2001).”
On Tuesday, Spot’s maker told TechCrunch that it doesn’t comment on pending lawsuits, but added,
Innovation is the lifeblood of Boston Dynamics, and our roboticists have successfully filed approximately 500 patents and patent applications worldwide. We welcome competition in the emerging mobile robotics market, but we expect all companies to respect intellectual property rights, and we will take action when those rights are violated.
In the suit, Boston Dynamics cites multiple letters, including cease and desists, calling on Ghost to suspend the manufacture of its own four-legged dog robots over several alleged patent violations.
It’s not the first time to two companies have butted heads. Ghost made national headlines after images surfaced of one of its dog robots sporting a SWORD Defense Systems Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle (SPUR).
A drawing from Boston Dynamics’ suit. Image Credits: Boston Dynamics
The company’s then-CEO Jiren Parikh (who passed away in March of this year) told TechCrunch at the time,
We don’t make the payloads. Are we going to promote and advertise any of these weapon systems? Probably not. That’s a tough one to answer. Because we’re selling to the military, we don’t know what they do with them. We’re not going to dictate to our government customers how they use the robots.
We do draw the line on where they’re sold. We only sell to U.S. and allied governments. We don’t even sell our robots to enterprise customers in adversarial markets. We get lots of inquiries about our robots in Russia and China. We don’t ship there, even for our enterprise customers.
Last month Boston Dynamics joined a number of follow robotics firms in an open letter condemning the practice of weaponizing robotics. The letter notes, in part,
We believe that adding weapons to robots that are remotely or autonomously operated, widely available to the public, and capable of navigating to previously inaccessible locations where people live and work, raises new risks of harm and serious ethical issues. Weaponized applications of these newly-capable robots will also harm public trust in the technology in ways that damage the tremendous benefits they will bring to society.
Boston Dynamics is seeking unspecified damages in its suit.
MIT's Boston Dynamics Is Suing Ghost Robotics Over Robot Dog Plagiarism
The U.S. Air Force was reportedly testing Ghost Robotics' robot dogs in 2021.
Boston Dynamics wants to ensure its place in the creepy robot dog market. The tech company has filed a complaint against Philadelphia-based Ghost Robotics claiming that the latter has infringed on Boston Dynamics’ patents.
The complaint, which was obtained and reported on by The Register, alleges that Ghost Robotics copied Boston Dynamics’ schtick of a semi-autonomous robot dog with their Vision 60 and Spirit 40—a robot that resembles Boston Dynamics’ Spot. Boston Dynamics points out in the 110-page complaint that the way Vision 60 and Spirit 40 collect sight information, process environmental data, and even climb stairs could be an infringement of several patents the MIT spinoff has gotten approved since its founding in 1992. Boston Dynamics is also demanding a jury trial.
“Boston Dynamics, with its early roots in the robotics industry, has been and continues to be a pioneer and leading innovator in developing quadrupedal and bipedal robots,” the complaint reads. “Boston Dynamics’ early success with the Spot robot did not go unnoticed by competitors in the robotics industry, including Ghost Robotics.”
The Register points out that Ghost Robotics—and their terrifying robot dogs—have visited Tyndall Air Force base in Florida in 2021 to “add an extra level of protection,” according to an Air Force press release. Ghost Robotics also visited Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada in 2020 to test out their dogs according to a Business Insider article, which also reports that the company received an Air Force contract in April of 2020.
Much the same way dogs are man’s best friend, Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics are law enforcement and armed forces’ best friends. As Gizmodo has covered extensively in the past, Boston Dynamics has cashed in on national security—having previously partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on their Atlas disaster response robot. Ghost Robotics has also been teaming up with the armed forces as their tech is slated to help patrol the U.S. southern border.
But when Boston Dynamics’ Spot originally went on sale, there was a can’t use it for evil clause. The company has been adamant about its robots not being used for weapons or to harm people, where as Ghost Robotics seems totally happy to go all-in on military. Still, the U.S. Military’s Defense Advanced Research Project Agency was an early backer of Boston Dynamics, but the company has since pivoted its focus to more civilian spaces. With that in mind, Boston Dynamics could be feeling the heat from a competitor in a space they typically control, hence the complaint.
