Walk With Spot
San Francisco-based startup Formant has developed tech that lets you remotely control a Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog from the comfort of your living room, CNET reports, right inside your browser. All you need is a stable internet connection.
The demonstration is mostly a way to showcase software that lets you control a variety of robots, from underwater drones to automated guided vehicles.
“Spot’s fantastic because it’s the first robot that can reliably navigate the world in a non-structured environment,” Jeff Linnell, CEO of Formant, told CNET.
Going for a Stroll
CNET reporter Lexy Savvides walked the robot dog from a mile away in her living room, using a PlayStation controller to steer it through a park in San Francisco. A human handler stayed by its side the entire time.
The robot dog went on sale for a cool $74,500 earlier this year and has been put to use at oil rigs, construction sites, and even hospitals during the ongoing pandemic.
To get a shot at controlling a robot dog for yourself, you’ll have to fill out a form on Formant’s website. The company is looking to test its software out on kids and others, who aren’t particularly into technology, according to CNET.
READ MORE: I walked Spot, the Boston Dynamics robot dog, remotely — and only crashed once [CNET]
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