VIDEO: Spot has an arm! Twitter reacts to new Boston Dynamics robot upgrade

PortandTerminal.com, February 2, 2021

“As amazing as the #technology is, somehow everything that comes out of #BostonDynamics just manages to creep me out a little too much” (Twitter user reaction)

Now that Boston Dynamic’s Spot has an arm in addition to legs and cameras, it can do mobile manipulation. It finds and picks up objects (trash), tidies up the living room, opens doors, operates switches and valves, tends the garden, and generally has fun.

Motion of the hand, arm and body are automatically coordinated to simplify manipulation tasks and expand the arm’s workspace, making its reach essentially unbounded. The behavior shown here was programmed using a new API for mobile manipulation that supports autonomy and user applications, as well as a tablet that lets users do remote operations.

While this latest upgrade is exciting to many (we included), it has also prompted its share of concern from those who see the ever-advancing march of robotic advances as a threat to humanity.

every time they update this thing it makes me feel nearer to extinction https://t.co/Q0DIZoZ7MA
— Steven Helock (@StevenHelock) February 1, 2021

They taught it to use digging devices. Now it can bury all the bodies.

Spot's Got an Arm! https://t.co/OyB7h0EHGD via @YouTube
— Barret Blake (@BarretBlake) February 2, 2021