One of the keynote speakers of the New Economy Summit (NEST) 2016 is Andy Rubin, former robotics head at Google. And he's brought with him a nifty little toy.
Back in 2013, the company bought several of the most promising robotics companies, including Schaft, winner of the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials. No news came from the company since the acquisition, only that they're part of X, Google's semi-secret research and development.
But during the summit, Rubin showcased Schaft's newest creation: A bipedal robot. Along with Schaft co-founder and CEO Yuto Nakanishi, Rubin unveiled the robot and video of the amazing things it can do.
The video shows the robot climbing stairs, carrying a 60 kg (132 pound) payload, and stepping on a pipe while keeping its balance. It can also move in tight spaces, climb a narrow staircase, and clean a set of stairs with a spinning brush and a vacuum attached to its feet.
Finally, the robot is seen outdoors, negotiating rough terrain, slippery rocks, and snow.
The robot, yet unnamed, is not yet a product or clear indication of SCHAFT's future products, merely a show of progress, according to an X spokesman at NEST.
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