Subscriber Discussion

Looks Like Boston Dynamics Is Creating A Robotic Security Dog

U
Undisclosed #1
Oct 22, 2018
IPVMU Certified

That can use stairs and open doors (maybe?)....

From Wired

In May, the company announced that after all those teaser videos, it’s finally bringing SpotMini to market (not yet Atlas, its famous humanoid robot). It’s one hell of an impressive quadruped, but the question is: What is SpotMini good for?

When Boston Dynamics boss Marc Raibert announced SpotMini’s commercial debut, he said it’d come with packages. If you want Spot to work as a security guard, for instance, you’d outfit it with more cameras. Think of it like a car with options, only instead of adding rims, you add a snake-like arm that lets the robot open those aforementioned doors.

On the other hand, it is loud AF so...

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JH
John Honovich
Oct 27, 2018
IPVM

Thanks for sharing. If it can climb stairs and walk over obstacles reliably as it does in the video that would overcome a major limitation of current security robots.

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JH
John Honovich
Oct 27, 2018
IPVM

Btw, SpotMini's website description:

SpotMini is a small four-legged robot that comfortably fits in an office or home.  It weighs 25 kg (30 kg if you include the arm). SpotMini is all-electric and can go for about 90 minutes on a charge, depending on what it is doing.  SpotMini is the quietest robot we have built. 

That 90 minute battery life might be an issue (not sure how long it takes to recharge).

Avatar
Robert Baxter
Oct 27, 2018

We do protection at 100 construction sites which is a portion of our portfolio of remote guarding sites. Examples of use for this product appears to solve searching for a person who enters the premises and a police officer fears risk due to injury with poor lighting conditions, or dispatching a security guard who is unwilling to investigate thoroughly except walk the fence line. Another use might be to constantly patrol a construction site after hours. The reality might not be so simple.

These look like expensive toys (how much??) that when put to use present more problems than they solve. For example, every construction site is a unique hazardous environment. Who is going to go in and save the robot when its attacked, down, trapped or lost? How likely is this to happen than solving the event of the first problem?

The problem of solving crime on construction sites is being done efficiently now with remote guarding, to send a security guard a few times a month to investigate costs at most $100/each dispatch. Don't see this product providing a ROI, but instead presents a significant financial risk and embarrassment.     

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Avatar
Chad Cooper, PSP
Oct 27, 2018
N/a

Plus it dances better than John. 😂

 

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