Tag Archives: robot dog

Robot dog with wheels for feet can climb stairs and fences, do tricks

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Boston Dynamics’ nightmarish BigDog is finally behind us, but that doesn’t mean we’re past seeing visually headless robot dogs every now and then. Spot has become the blueprint for these smaller and more agile quadruped machines and, to be fair, it has led to quite a few interesting designs and useful applications. Despite that, there are still a few design issues that need to be addressed, particularly when it comes to the robot’s mobility on any terrain or elevation, especially stairs and fences. That’s the kind of puzzle that this new quadruped robot is solving, ironically with wheels instead of flat feet, and it’s starting to behave almost like a stereotypical dog when it comes to climbing over things it probably shouldn’t.

Designer: Unitree

It sounds almost counter-intuitive to put wheels on a robot’s feet to help it move better, but that’s exactly what will make the Unitree Go2-W a head-turner. Technically, those wheels allow it to move anywhere, practically like an all-terrain four-wheel drive, rolling over smooth floors, rough roads, or inclined surfaces like ramps with precision and agility. But if you think those wheels will give it trouble on stairs, you definitely haven’t been paying attention.

Going up any stairs is no sweat off its non-existent brow, as not only can it lift its feet like a normal (robot) dog, but the wheels actually give it a leg up, pardon the pun. The wheels not only give it a bit more grip but also help boost it up by rolling up on the vertical edge of the stairs. Like with organic dogs, going down stairs or from high places is naturally easier, just rolling off the steps or simply falling off the edge and bouncing back up.

What makes the Go2-W even more special is its ability to climb over fences, almost like a real, naughty dog. It stands on its two hind feet to prop itself on top of the ledge with its front legs. It then uses those rear wheels to hoist itself up, and it’s quite cute to watch it struggle a bit, again like a real dog.

The Unitree Go2-W can do one other trick that almost no other robot dog can. It can do “handstands” and, of course, roll around upside down on its front “feet.” These are definitely impressive abilities, though some will question their practical use. The proper accessories could help the headless dog explore places that are too dangerous for humans to deliver payloads or simply analyze the area. And no one will probably mind being able to teach the dog new tricks, presuming you don’t get too uneasy with such robot dog designs.

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AI artist will “train” robot dogs to do a live painting session

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Spot has been a pretty busy dog, previously appearing with super group BTS a few years and just last week, getting its own costume and dancing its heart out to celebrate International Dance Day. Lest you think that it’s an actual dog though, it’s actually a robotic dog that can do more than just jump and roll over. Now it’s branching out to the art world with a new exhibit featuring the power of AI.

Designer: Agnieszka Pilat

There has been a lot of heated discussions about AI and art but not all of them are always negative. While a lot have been critical, there are those that want to explore how autonomous technology and AI-generated art can aid in the democratization of art. One of those people is Polish artist Agnieszka Pilat. She has partnered with Boston Dynamics, or rather, Spot the robot dogs, for the Heterobota exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Two of the robot dogs, nicknamed Basia and Omuzana, will do a live painting demonstration in the museum on a 156 x 160 inch canvas on May 10. Pilat will be “training” the dogs to doodle and paint from 8PM to 12AM, with a little resting in between just like an actual artist would. Visitors in the museum can actually watch them live and the final work will not be displayed afterwards so your only chance to see the robot dogs in action would be during the live painting session.

Pilat says that the expected outcome is more like that of a “little kids finger-painting” since the technology is young and new, even though she has collaborated with Spot before. But it’s an interesting experiment in how humans can use AI and robots to generate art. Of course, there’s still a lot of discussion that rightly needs to be had but things like this can open up various viewpoints and opinions that can hopefully enhance the conversation.

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Sparkles is the Spot cosplay version to show off the Choreographer software

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Aside from actual dancing people, one of the things that we love to see on the Internet is dancing animals. From penguins to monkeys to cats and dogs, we love seeing these cute animals bust a move. Of course some of these are computer-generated but if they’re cute enough, we’d still watch it. So when a furry blue dog started dancing on our screens, we probably stopped scrolling and watched, even though it was obviously not a real dog but a robotic dog.

Designer: Boston Dynamics

We thought that this was a new robot dog from Boston Dynamics but it was actually their trusty ole Spot but with a fluffy, blue skin. Sparkles was unleashed on the internet to celebrate International Dance day last April 29. We got a dancing duet from both Spot and Sparkles but the latter was just the former but in a costume just to make things a little more fun. This custom costume was designed so Spot the original robot dog can “explore the intersections of robotcs, art, and entertainment.”

The reason why these robot dogs danced so well is because of the Choreographer software and API that they launched a few years ago. It was created specifically for the media and entertainment customers who needed a tool that could let them train the robot dog with high-level instructions. It also allows Spot to adapt to its physical limitations and its environment when executing the moves while still prioritizing its balance.

We don’t know if Boston Dynamics plans to create even more costumes for Spot for future special occasions. Can you imagine a Halloween or Christmas themed robot dog outfit or even various pop culture cosplay setups? Of course the main point would still be to showcase Spot and the Choreographer software so it should be something cute but not too elaborate so as to hinder the robot dog’s movements.

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