Boston Dynamics robot dog Spot finally goes on sale for $74,500
The dog-bot future is now.
Spot can also work as a robot supermodel.
Boston Dynamics' dog-like Spot has long been the darling of the robot world thanks to its kinda cute looks and impressive capabilities, which include twerking, herding sheep and helping doctors safely assess coronavirus patients.
The dream of Spot ownership is now closer to reality, if you're a US business with $74,500 (about £59,238, AU$108,188) to drop on a dog-bot.
Boston Dynamics put the quadraped Spot up for sale on Tuesday. A hype video shows off some of its potential uses.
The $74,500 base price is for the Spot Explorer kit. "Spot Explorer is designed for developers eager to explore how flexible mobile robots can be adapted for tasks ranging from industrial inspection to entertainment," Boston Dynamics said. You can reserve one for a $1,000 deposit, with shipment expected in six to eight weeks.
The kit includes Spot, two batteries, a charger, a tablet controller and storage cases. You can customize the package with a variety of add-ons ranging from a $21,800 Spot CAM for color panoramic views to an $18,450 Lidar upgrade that helps Spot autonomously navigate large spaces.
Boston Dynamics lets potential enterprise and academic customers request quotes for versions of Spot tailored for their needs.
The commercial sale of Spot comes on the heels of a short-term lease program that put the robot to work in such diverse environments as a massive construction project job site and in a NASA JPL program that challenged Spot to navigate rugged underground terrain.
The company is very much targeting business use cases for Spot at this point. "Spot is designed for use in industrial or commercial applications by trained professionals," Boston Dynamics specified. "Spot is not certified safe for in-home use or intended for use near children or others who may not appreciate the hazards associated with its operation."
Your hopes of adopting Spot as a pet may have to wait a little longer.
