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Spot Arm From Boston Dynamics Picks Up Like Heinlein's Hired Girl Robot

Robert Heinlein's 1956 ideas about a hired girl robot has finally taught Boston Dynamics' Spot Arm robot what to do:

It swept, or mopped, or vacuum-cleaned, or polished, consulting tapes in its idiot memory to decide which. Anything larger than a BB shot it picked up and placed in a tray on its upper surface, for someone brighter to decide whether to keep or throw away.

Our friends at Boston Dynamics have been working on Spot for quite a while; see my 2015 article for reference Meet Spot, The Electric Quadrupedal, Er, Robot Dog.

Spot is an older dog now; it has a new trick. Watch Spot pick up around the house, just like Heinlein's Hired Girl.

Act on data insights and perform physical work in people-centric environments.

Grasp, lift, carry, place, and drag a variety of items with the arm's 6-degrees of freedom and gripper.

Use the in-gripper LED illuminator and 4K camera to inspect objects and equipment before taking action.

Semi-autonomously turn valves, flip levers, open doors, and manipulate other objects with constrained movement.

Read more about Robert Heinlein's Door into Summer and check out Spot Arm at BostonDynamics.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 2/5/2021)

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Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")

Mika The Robot-Boss
'the robot-boss was busy at the lip of the new lode instructing and egging the men on to greater speed...' - David C. Cooke, 1939.

Sensitive, Soft Robot Skin
'...tinted material that had all the feel and appearance of human flesh and epidermis.' - Harl Vincent, 1934.

Finger Sensors For Robot Hands
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!' - Ray Cummings, 1931.

A Vacuum With An Arm - Engineers Create Heinlein's Hired Girl Robot
'Anything larger than a BB shot it picked up and placed in a tray...' - Robert Heinlein, 1956.

 

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