In the off-chance you were wondering how many dog-like robots are necessary to haul a truck, Google-owned Boston Dynamics has the answer.
In a video that some may find disturbing or downright creepy, the company demonstrates how 10 of its robots can haul a medium-sized box truck across the Boston Dynamics parking lot.
Obviously, the truck was in neutral to make things fair for the motorized “dogs.” However, they had to haul the truck up a one-degree gradient. And as you can see, the SpotMini robots had no problems pulling the truck arranged in a formation similar to dogs pulling a sled.
Also watch: How Robots Build The Tesla Model 3
This video serves as a reminder for two things. The first is that SpotMini robots are coming off the production line now and will soon be available for a range of applications. Of course, they can do more than just haul a truck: Boston Dynamics programmed them to handle objects, climb stairs, and much more. Get ready to see them operating in offices, homes and outdoors sooner or later.
Secondly, this video makes it very clear that we have gotten down a path where artificial intelligence is going to become more and more prevalent in our lives. As Elon Musk has warned us repeatedly, AI is the biggest threat to the future of humankind. If we were to heed his words, that means that we’re pretty much doomed.
Could there be a bright side to this? Well, the next time your car is stuck in mud or snow, a pack of robot dogs may come to your rescue. Just don’t throw them a bone afterwards – first, they probably wouldn’t know what to make of it and, second, they don’t have jaws. Come to think of it, that second part is probably for the best; you know, just in case that AI gets too clever and perceives you as a threat…