Meet dancing robot dog Sparkles: Entertaining footage appears online
Boston Dynamics showed the Sparkles robot - he is hairy and knows how to dance (screenshot: RBC-Ukraine)
Boston Dynamics has unveiled its latest development - Sparkles. It's a modified version of the well-known Spot robot, which is now equipped with a special suit that allows it to mimic the behavior of a real dog.
What is known about the new robot
With the help of a furry cover, Spot takes on the appearance of a large toy dog capable of performing tricks such as giving a paw, responding to commands, and even dancing.
These dance movements are performed using a special tool called Choreographer, which combines programming with elements of real choreography.
The Choreographer system allows for the analysis of the physical parameters of the Sparkles (Spot) robot in real-time, ensuring a harmonious combination of rhythmic movements while taking into account the surrounding space and conditions.
In other words, the robot is capable of adapting its movements to limited spatial conditions, slippery surfaces, or the presence of people nearby to avoid potential collisions.
Boston Dynamics stated that if Spot asked to do something physically impossible, or if he faced a problem such as a slippery floor, he would find a possible movement closest to what was requested and perform it instead - much like a human dancer would.
