from the spin-off-rotten-culture-department dept.
Google's parent company, Alphabet, is putting the robotics firm Boston Dynamics up for sale. In addition to the lack of near-to-release products, company culture issues were also cited as reasons for the for-sale sign. The company was part of a 2013 buying spree in the robotics field led by Andy Rubin, who had previously headed the Android division. Rubin left Google in 2014. At the end of 2015, the US Marine Corp declined to order the "AlphaDog" engine-powered pack-carriers due to noise concerns. Amazon and Toyota are mentioned as possible buyers for the company.
The Daily Mail has pictures and video of Boston Dynamics' creations as well as a quote from Gill Pratt, of DARPA, regarding disaster areas like Fukushima.
'Sometimes in a disaster, it is too dangerous for people to go in,'
The robots developed by TEPCO and Toshiba used in Fukushima have stopped working after radiation damaged their wires.
Our ageless robo-partners are not yet on the horizon.
takyon: Also at TechCrunch.
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The "Replicant" division responsible for Google's robotics buying spree seemed to have hit a snag after its founder Andy Rubin left Google, and when it was reported that Google was interested in selling Boston Dynamics, the maker of the loud and noisy "BigDog". However, the division is still chugging along, and Japan-based subsidiary Schaft just showed off a new bipedal robot at the 2016 New Economic Summit:
There's a new bot in town (Tokyo, specifically), and while it might not be as cute as Nao, as creepy as Spot and BigDog or as anthropomorphic as Atlas, it might be more practical than all of them. It walks on two legs, but not like a man, or even a bear. This one, designed by Alphabet-owned Schaft Inc., has its own uniquely robotic form of locomotion.
The nameless robot strutted onstage at the New Economic Summit in Japan, joining Schaft co-founder Yuto Nakanishi and facing a delighted crowd. A video then played showing robots like the one on stage, but different — but all with a few things in common. Most important has to be the walking system. Rather than imitate a human gait, which is a remarkably complex controlled-falling affair, these robots have rigid legs that slide up and down like rails. This allows them to lift without bending, while joints at the top allow them to be canted in or out and "ankles" at the bottom provide stability on uneven terrain. Batteries and motors are suspended between the legs, creating a naturally low center of gravity.
It can go up and down stairs.
Over a year after signalling its intentions to dump the robotics demonstration company Boston Dynamics, Alphabet/Google has finally found a buyer: SoftBank. SoftBank acquired ARM Holdings for around $32 billion in 2016. Google also offloaded another robotics company, Schaft:
Google's ambitions for Boston Dynamics were never really clear. Before being acquired, the robotics company was mostly funded by DARPA—the US military's research division—with the express purpose of creating militarised robots. Within a year of being picked up, though, Google announced that it would no longer pursue any DARPA contracts, presumably to focus on possible commercial uses for the bots. No commercial robots ever emerged.
SoftBank, however, has had success with commercialising robots—specifically the small humanoid robot Pepper.
Also at The Verge, The Guardian, TNW, CNN, CNBC, and TechCrunch.
Previously: Pentagon Scientists Show Off Robot And Prosthetics
Google's Noisy "BigDog" Robot Fails to Impress U.S. Marine Corps
Google's Latest Boston Dynamics Robot Takes a Stand
Boston Dynamics Produces a Wheeled Terror as Google Watches Nervously
Hyundai takes control of Boston Dynamics in $1.1B deal
Hyundai is officially purchasing a controlling stake in robot maker Boston Dynamics from SoftBank in a deal that values the company at $1.1 billion, the company announced today. The deal has been in the works for a while, according to recent a report from Bloomberg, and marks a major step into consumer robotics for Hyundai. Hyundai is taking approximately an 80 percent stake in the company while its previous owner, Softbank, will retain around 20 percent through an affiliate.
Hyundai says its investment will help its development of service and logistics robots, but that over time it hopes to build more humanoid robots for jobs like "caregiving for patients at hospitals." Other areas of interest include autonomous driving and smart factories.
EF could not be reached for comment.
Previously: Google to Sell Robotics Group Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics Produces a Wheeled Terror as Google Watches Nervously
SoftBank Acquires Boston Dynamics and Schaft From Google
Boston Dynamics Will Now Sell Any US Business its Own Spot Robot for $74,500
Boston Dynamics' Dog-Like Robot Spotted in Chernobyl
Boston Dynamics' Spot Is Helping Chernobyl Move Towards Safe Decommissioning
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 18 2016, @02:34AM
They still like to work on cool stuff, but now they want to make sure they invest in projects that are sure to make money... like AI Go.
(Score: 2) by jcross on Friday March 18 2016, @03:35PM
But the Go engine could be monetized very quickly by launching an online Go app with AI opponent, and the for that R&D has to cost less than developing robots. In the physical realm, the transition to production is much harder.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Snotnose on Friday March 18 2016, @03:02AM
Not like they won't make maybe 10% over the next year or two, nor that it won't be worth twice as much in 5 years.
One thing I learned some 15 years ago is it's not enough to make money, you have to make 30% more than last year to stay viable. Else you're a failing division and need to be trimmed.
Me? My investments get 10% a year and I'm throwing a party. The 1%'er's? They see 10% a year and go all Mitt Romney on them. Fuck the wemmin and chillen, I'm not making 50% on my investment so you losers need to work harder.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 18 2016, @03:07AM
This company is worth a great deal to a military contractor. By selling it, Google-Alphabet can keep their pledge not to work for the military, while extracting part of that value. If they retain rights to use the patents, they'll be able to use those in their android project.
(Score: 3, Funny) by MostCynical on Friday March 18 2016, @03:21AM
Self-propelled phones?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Friday March 18 2016, @07:56AM
Internet Protocol over Robotic Carriers. Modelled after the IPoAC protocol. Perfect for long range wireless communication if you don't need a low latency. ;-)
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 4, Funny) by MostCynical on Friday March 18 2016, @08:32AM
Also programmed to bite you if you try to uninstall any g**gle apps?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Insightful) by RamiK on Friday March 18 2016, @03:31AM
Pretty much this on the micro scale. On the macro, it was probably like Waze: An interception to block one of their competitors from buying them.
compiling...
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 18 2016, @05:42AM
I hadn't thought of that angle. Suddenly the Microsoft tactic of buying companies, closing them, and keeping the patents doesn't look quite so stupid.