Test driving Boston Dynamics' Spot robot (from home)

Boston Dynamics' Spot Robot Takes Its First Steps into Remote Control

Boston Dynamics, known for its cutting-edge robotics technology, has taken its latest robot, Spot, to new heights – literally. In a recent demonstration, the company successfully allowed a person to take control of Spot remotely, using only a laptop and a formant device that enables humans to manage robots remotely. The experience was not just limited to watching Spot move around; it also allowed users to interact with the robot in various ways, such as striking poses or going up and down stairs.

Spot's capabilities are due in part to its advanced mobility system, which allows it to navigate complex environments with ease. According to Jeff Lannell, CEO of formant, Spot is the first robot that can reliably navigate a non-structured environment, making it capable of moving through tight spaces and adapting to new situations. This feature makes Spot an ideal candidate for a variety of applications, from search and rescue missions to exploration in disaster zones.

One of the most exciting aspects of using Spot remotely was the ability to see the reactions of people when they encountered the robot in person. As Jeff Lannell pointed out, there is a moment when people realize that they are being waved at by someone controlling a robot – it's a truly futuristic experience. The robot's advanced sensors and cameras also provide users with a wealth of information about its surroundings, including battery temperatures, motor torques, and even ambient temperature.

During the demonstration, the user took control of Spot using a laptop and was able to move the robot around with ease. They were even able to pose the robot in front of them, allowing them to interact with it on a more personal level. The user also demonstrated the ability to make Spot perform tricks, such as going up and down stairs or striking poses.

However, not everything went smoothly during the demonstration. At one point, the user tipped Spot over by turning the left joystick too quickly – an experience that was described as a bit of an accident. Despite this minor setback, the overall experience was deemed successful, with Jeff Lannell expressing his excitement about the possibilities that Spot presents.

As for how many people have piloted Spot so far, Jeff Lannell revealed that he is actually the first person to do so in a general public setting. However, he noted that there are already plans to roll out Spot's remote control capabilities to a wider audience in the coming years. With its advanced technology and user-friendly interface, it's clear that Boston Dynamics' Spot robot has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with robots.

Spot's future applications are vast and varied, from search and rescue missions to exploration in disaster zones. Its ability to navigate complex environments and adapt to new situations makes it an ideal candidate for a variety of tasks. Whether you're looking to explore new territories or simply want to experience the thrill of remote control, Spot is definitely worth checking out.

The excitement around Spot's capabilities extends beyond its technical features; it also represents a significant step forward in terms of human-robot interaction. As Jeff Lannell noted, there is an "aha" moment when people realize that they are being controlled by someone – it's a truly futuristic experience. And as we continue to develop and refine our technology, it's clear that Spot is just the beginning of a new era in robotics.

In addition to its technical capabilities, Spot also represents a significant shift in how we interact with robots. Gone are the days of limited human-robot interaction; instead, we're entering an era where humans can take control of robots remotely, using only a laptop and a device like formant. This shift has the potential to revolutionize industries such as healthcare, transportation, and more.

As for the future of Spot, it's clear that Boston Dynamics is committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible with this technology. With its advanced capabilities and user-friendly interface, Spot has the potential to become an indispensable tool in a variety of applications. Whether you're looking to explore new territories or simply want to experience the thrill of remote control, Spot is definitely worth checking out.

The excitement around Spot extends beyond its technical features; it also represents a significant step forward in terms of human-robot interaction. As Jeff Lannell noted, there is an "aha" moment when people realize that they are being controlled by someone – it's a truly futuristic experience. And as we continue to develop and refine our technology, it's clear that Spot is just the beginning of a new era in robotics.

As for what the future holds for Spot, Jeff Lannell expressed his enthusiasm about the possibilities that this technology presents. With its advanced capabilities and user-friendly interface, Spot has the potential to revolutionize industries such as healthcare, transportation, and more. Whether you're looking to explore new territories or simply want to experience the thrill of remote control, Spot is definitely worth checking out.

The demonstration of Spot's remote control capabilities was not just a one-time event; it also marked an important milestone in the development of this technology. As Jeff Lannell pointed out, there are already plans to roll out Spot's remote control capabilities to a wider audience in the coming years. With its advanced features and user-friendly interface, Spot has the potential to become an indispensable tool in a variety of applications.

One of the most exciting aspects of using Spot remotely was the ability to see the reactions of people when they encountered the robot in person. As Jeff Lannell noted, there is a moment when people realize that they are being waved at by someone controlling a robot – it's a truly futuristic experience. The robot's advanced sensors and cameras also provide users with a wealth of information about its surroundings, including battery temperatures, motor torques, and even ambient temperature.

As for what's next for Spot, Jeff Lannell expressed his enthusiasm about the possibilities that this technology presents. With its advanced capabilities and user-friendly interface, Spot has the potential to become an indispensable tool in a variety of applications. Whether you're looking to explore new territories or simply want to experience the thrill of remote control, Spot is definitely worth checking out.

As for what the future holds for Spot, it's clear that Boston Dynamics is committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible with this technology. With its advanced capabilities and user-friendly interface, Spot has the potential to revolutionize industries such as healthcare, transportation, and more. Whether you're looking to explore new territories or simply want to experience the thrill of remote control, Spot is definitely worth checking out.

In conclusion, the demonstration of Spot's remote control capabilities was a significant milestone in the development of this technology. With its advanced features and user-friendly interface, Spot has the potential to become an indispensable tool in a variety of applications. Whether you're looking to explore new territories or simply want to experience the thrill of remote control, Spot is definitely worth checking out.

In conclusion, the excitement around Spot extends beyond its technical features; it also represents a significant step forward in terms of human-robot interaction. As Jeff Lannell noted, there is an "aha" moment when people realize that they are being controlled by someone – it's a truly futuristic experience. And as we continue to develop and refine our technology, it's clear that Spot is just the beginning of a new era in robotics.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enboston dynamics spot already does a lot of cool things but now it's ready for its best trick yet letting people like you and me take it for a walk all without leaving the house this experience is powered by formant a company that helps humans manage robots remotely so i'm going to be taking spot for a walk around san francisco using my laptop and i don't have to leave the living room you can also apply for the chance to take spot for a walk all you need to do is go to formant's website and fill out a questionnaire this is jeff lannell ceo of formant who's going to help me walk spot in real time the spot's fantastic because it's the first robot that can reliably navigate the world in a non-structured environment so it can go up and down curves it can go over stumps it can go through a forest and there isn't another robot that i can think of that has that uh that mobility and so it's the first robot that you can practically test um uh uh we can test our software in any number of environments be on a zoom call at the same time as i'm controlling the robot so he and the team can walk me through the process on my screen i can see exactly what spot sees from its cameras i have a control panel on the right hand side that lets me enter modes like striking a pose or going up and down stairs and i have a playstation controller to actually walk the dog although you can also do it with a keyboard and mouse so i start with a simple downward dog move to warm things up you can use those two joysticks they do different things on the stick on the left if you go left and right we'll look left and right do downward facing dog if you use the stick on the right forward let's see oh yeah there's my downward dog wow okay oh this is just like playing a video game right we have our first con human contact oh and a wave hi so how long generally have you found it takes people to be sort of become proficient in controlling remotely you know it's only been um it really is 30 40 seconds it's more about understanding how fast the dog moves and how fast the left and right goes otherwise it's pretty intuitive yeah i think that's the biggest learning curve for me right now is working out the threshold of how much i need to push the stick compared to how much that's moving spot i'm being very gentle and tentative with this it'd be very nice yes okay good yeah no bolting no running off spot is still on a leash sort of virtual leash exactly so if i wanted to see behind spot is there a view so i could sort of work out is there a camera on the rear of spot so the spot's actually got five cameras on and you can see left and right you can see behind and you can see in front a lot of sensing um so you'd have to configure that we right now we've set it up to show you the gps and the the third party point of view and also it's interesting because i'm not quite sure of spots dimensions so i need to kind of be extra careful especially in a slightly tighter space like this one and i definitely don't want to be going off into the rocks and the side of the bridge but it's good that i can see the capture view so at least i have an idea of whereabouts it is you know it's hard spot does a tremendous job of not hitting things on its own and so it does most of the work you could it won't let you walk into the rocks hello hi people and there's a little little bridge over that yep go for it this bridge is small let's go uh so if you just go for it spot will do all the work and and thread the needle here even though i know spot will do it i'm still very cautious like it's still that disconnect in my brain going be really careful going over that don't walk into the wall we're feeling brave we can we can try our first staircase really do you trust me to take a staircase with spot i don't trust me i trust you and i press spot um okay so there is a stairs mode that i've noticed so should i walk a little closer and then tap stairs just go into stairs mode uh right now and just line up and and go for it ah it's doing it it's doing it i can see ah whoa oh my goodness i walked into the pagoda what the heck maybe pose for these guys all right i'll do a little pose i'll do a little side to side hello that's my that's my wave well i think this is sort of the um the the interesting thing is is taking the cognitive load off of the operator like you actually now get somewhere in the world by just saying where you need to go and uh letting the machine do all the heavy lifting yeah that's what i love about it i don't i have to think about it but not too much so i don't need to worry about how it's working somehow going down is scarier than going up it is scary because you can't see the the stairs under your feet as much but it's doing it yes spot yeah go spot hello random walker hey out comes the phone out comes the phone taking a bow hello nice to meet you she asked if we have treats for it no but i'll take treats definitely but this is wild like this is amazing that i can do this and i'm sitting in my living room wow so how many people so far have piloted spot like i'm doing right now in terms of general public oh you're the you're the first actually i'm the first yes i can't believe you trusted me to do that to be at the test pilot this is great i wouldn't have trusted me but thank you i i'm so appreciative okay i see a low battery alert that's just popped up uh-oh you're right you've got another 34 but this is actually really helpful like i love having you guys on the line so i can hear your feedback you can kind of give me guidance and also having decoded there is like the actual eyes and ears on the ground oh we got some people hi well this is a stalemate now they're waiting for me to move but i'm waiting for them to move there's a bar oh oh fetch spot oh okay all right now let's see if i pose it's right in front of me so if i do down a dog and i see the yes i can see the tennis ball except i can't pick it up but that's okay hello they can't hear me but i can see them here let's do a pose i love it they're kind of like them are they mirroring my movements too yeah all right i'm gonna sit good dog yay you know i've been around spot for a very long time and i'm i'm desensitized to it but i can remember seeing it walk down a street in palo alto for the first time it was just wow this is starting to happen this is the future it's actually on a sidewalk it's not in a laboratory and there's a aha moment and so i want to see what are people's reactions when they when they encounter that for the first time because i think we're all about to in the next decade but people are very respectful like they're giving me some space well they're giving spots in space they don't know i'm controlling it i think there's a moment when they find out that it's being done remotely that's even a sort of another layer of here's somebody is he waving me on oh my gosh she's waving me on that's great the dog was scared when you started walking around you noticed yes he's like wait a minute we're getting upwards of 200 channels of information off of that robot and it's everything from battery temperatures motor torques we're getting all the cameras that are on the robot it's uh lidar it's 3d 3d sensing we know it's speed we know it's altitude we know uh the ambient temperature so anything that an engineer might want to observe about a robot that's doing a mission we've got all that information coming in while it looks like the whole thing was smooth sailing the part that we didn't show you yet is that i had a bit of an accident off the top i suggest you don't try this at home all right and i'm almost on the path now if i turn the left joystick i'm able to careful careful careful oh oh oh no we tipped it i tipped it over already i'm sorry spot i can't believe i walked him into a bush my first walk it's all good he's sorry spot i'm sorry buddy i love you i'll treat you better i'm sorry at least it wasn't a tree right\n"

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