How Boston Dynamics Is Leading the Robotics Revolution

Laura Ross Mar 01, 2023

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Boston Dynamics' Spot robot at a technology fair in Italy in 2021

“Changing your idea of what robots can do” reads the tagline on the homepage of Boston Dynamics’ website.

Since it was founded in 1992 as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this engineering and robotics design company has been true to its word. Let’s find out how.

What Sets Boston Dynamics Apart?

Boston Dynamics’ unique selling proposition (USP) is the development of robots that boast the mobility, dexterity, and intelligence of people and animals. This means a deep curiosity about the natural world is at the heart of its work.

Most importantly, all of its robots have legs. This means they can emulate the balance and dynamic motion of living creatures; climbing stairs, navigating uneven terrains, and dodging obstacles.

The company introduced its first legged robot, BigDog, back in 2004. This military machine, which could carry 400 pounds on its back, used sensors and a built-in control system to navigate rough terrain at 30 mph. After being deemed too loud for combat environments, it was ultimately discontinued.

Since the unveiling of BigDog, the company has gone from strength to strength with a robot prototype portfolio that includes:

six-legged Rhex (2007)
the quadruped LS3 (2010)
the jumping SandFlea (2012)
the fast-paced WildCat (2011)
and its Stretch robot, Handle (2017).

In June 2021, Hyundai Motor Group acquired a majority interest in Boston Dynamics for an estimated $800 million. The two companies plan to create a robotics value chain, from robot component manufacturing to smart logistics solutions, and expand the latter’s product line and global sales footprint.

Today, Boston Dynamics’ robots continue to be “designed and perfected” in Waltham, Massachusetts, and manufactured across the United States. Spot® the robot, of which an early iteration was launched in 2015, is its first commercial success.

Innovative Robots

Spot the Robot

In June 2020, Boston Dynamics launched sales of its first commercial robot, Spot, an agile mobile robot with a wide range of applications in the modern world.

Spot, for example, enables industrial businesses to automate their routine inspection tasks, safely and accurately capture equipment data, and create digital twins of a plant in advance of a rework. The robot can create routine tunnel inspection routes in a mining environment, improve awareness of plant operations, and complete assessments in dangerous circumstances. The increased visibility Spot provides drives production efficiency, informs decision-making, and reduces the frequency of plant shutdowns.

Police and fire departments can use Spot to gain remote visibility into potentially risky situations, be it scanning suspicious packages or evaluating hostile threats.

In a military setting, Spot could provide similar support, aiding logistics and rescue operations or inspecting hazardous territories.

Looking ahead, Boston Dynamics believes a commercially priced version of Spot would make a useful assistant in the home.

Stretch: A Robot for Warehouses and Distribution Centers

In March 2022, Boston Dynamics announced that Stretch, a robot designed for use in warehouses and distribution centers, would be made available for commercial purchase.

The release of this particular robot marks a rare deviation in business strategy for Boston Dynamics, which has historically focused on the development of flashy and fameworthy products. Fortunately, the company’s investment in Stretch seems to have paid off.

Upon release, this robot, which unloads floor-loaded trailers and containers of weights of up to 50 pounds, immediately sold out for all deliveries in 2022. DHL Supply Chain was among its customers, placing a $15 million pre-order of the robot to automate its warehousing operations in North America.

Boston Dynamics Announced a New Robot This Year

More recently, in January of this year, the company released a new demo of Atlas, its most dynamic humanoid robot yet. Atlas’ compact mobile hydraulic system, custom battery, and valves enable it to deliver power to its 28 hydraulic joints.

The robot is lightweight, fast, and impressively mobile, navigating the world, as Boston Dynamics claims, with human-like grace. It can maneuver its way through parkour courses by running, jumping, and flipping, and it can pick up and drop off heavy items as required.

Atlas is not yet commercially available, but the latest demo videos are certainly well worth a watch.

The $400 Million Boston Dynamics AI Institute

In August 2022, Hyundai revealed its plans to establish a $400 million Boston Dynamics AI Institute, which will be located in the Kendall Square research precinct in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The facility will seek to solve “the most important and difficult challenges facing the creation of advanced robots,” with core research areas to include athletic AI, cognitive AI, and organic hardware design.

Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics will lead the institute. “Our mission is to create future generations of advanced robots and intelligent machines that are smarter, more agile, perceptive, and safer than anything that exists today,” he said.

A Champion of Ethical Robotics

Alongside its commitment to developing groundbreaking robots, Boston Dynamics is also a champion of ethical robotics.

In October 2022, Boston dynamics, along with five additional robotics companies, signed an open letter that essentially said: let’s commit to not weaponizing general-purpose robots or the software that makes them function.

"Untrustworthy people could use [robots] to invade civil rights or to threaten, harm, or intimidate others," the letter reads.

The six companies said they would also endeavor to make sure their customers are unable to weaponize their products.

As the letter notes, this effort alone is not enough to fully address the risks of weaponization in robotics, but it demonstrates a willingness to work with policymakers to promote the safe use of robots and prohibit their misuse.

Given the company’s latest investments and demo releases, it’s safe to assume that Boston Dynamics’ best robot is yet to come.