Things are not working out for Google and Boston Dynamics after latest reports claim the search giant is making moves to sell the company to the highest bidder. This has come as a big surprise to some, but to others, this move was long in the making.
For those who are unware, Boston Dynamics was acquired by Google back in 2013. It caused a lot of excitement because no one believed Google was interested in having its own army of robots. Before the acquisition, we've seen several videos from Boston Dynamics on the web.
These videos highlight robots with four legs being pushed around to test balance among other things. The robot dog was being design in hopes of being thrown into the hands of the U.S. military, but it never materialized because the robot was too loud.
The main goal of the robot dog was to carry military equipment across any terrain. The robot should make things easier for soldiers on foot, and while it hasn't worked out, we're sure things will change in the years to come.
Before the talks of Google selling Boston Dynamics, reported by Bloomberg, a video was released on YouTube showing humanoid robots doing human things. This caused some to believe the beginning of robots taking human jobs is at hand, while others praised what they saw.
The robots were shown walking through the snow without falling down, and they were also shown lifting 10 pound boxes and placing them on a shelf with ease and precision. From these actions, it is clear why some folks would be concerned, and it is not as if this isn't happening already.
We've seen in several companies where paying for things no longer require the aid of a cash register worker. People now have the option to go to a machine in a store or bill payment agency, slip in the cash, collect their receipt, and walk out the door.
It's the new world we're living in where robots and other form of machines are cheaper than human workers because robots do not need a paycheck, they don't get sick, and they will never disrespect the boss.