--- title: "Boston Dynamics Shows Off Robodog With Fur" description: "Robotics company Boston Dynamics has released a video of its Spot Mini robot dog dressed up in a bedazzled suit of fur." date: "2024-04-30" modified: "2024-04-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/boston-dynamics-robodog-fur" categories: - "Boston Dynamics" - "Robot Dogs" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "boston dynamics" - "robot dogs" - "spot" - "the digest" --- # Boston Dynamics Shows Off Robodog With Fur ![Robotics company Boston Dynamics has released a video of its Spot Mini robot dog dressed up in a bedazzled suit of fur.]() *\Image: Boston Dynamics\* ## Bots With the Fur Robotics company Boston Dynamics has released a video of its Spot Mini robot dog dressed up in a bedazzled suit of fur, a "custom costume" meant to "explore the intersections of robotics, art, and entertainment." Put differently, the company's famed robot dog has been turned from a dystopian four-legged machine into a terrifying marionette called "Sparkles" — and we can't quite put our finger on why exactly it exists, beyond giving children nightmares about the singularity. Naturally, the internet had a field day with the video. "Everybody wants to pet the dog until its neck extends four feet," one commenter joked. "Finally we have done it," another user wrote. "Humans have invented: dog." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG4PPkCyJig ## Blue Period Boston Dynamics was uncharacteristically vague about the intention behind its furry new invention. The video shows the furry contraption dancing alongside its undressed counterpart, shimmying from side to side and even touching noses at one point. The company is known to release videos of its [robots dancing to music]() to show off their agility. For instance, in 2018, the company [shared a video]() of its Spot robot dog shaking it down to Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk." The news also comes two weeks after the company [showed off its latest bipedal creation](), the successor to its Atlas robot that**'s** much slimmer and lighter. As for the employability of Sparkles, we're still unsure how its dance moves will translate in a children's party setting. But perhaps having it interact with a real-life dog could make for some entertaining footage. "I want a whole season of 'dogs reacting to Sparkles,'" one commenter suggested. **More on Boston Dynamics:** *[Boston Dynamics Shares Terrifying Video of Its Next-Gen Robot]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()