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Google acquires Boston Dynamics, maker of animal-inspired robots

Company nabs a maker of impressive walking and running creatures. It's part of Google's effort to buy its way into a future populated by autonomous mechanical entities.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
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  • Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
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Boston Dynamics' gas-powered WildCat robot, which can gallop across a parking lot, is now part of Google's robotics program.
Boston Dynamics' gas-powered WildCat robot, which can gallop across a parking lot, is now part of Google's robotics program. screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Google has acquired Boston Dynamics, maker of Cheetah, BigDog, WildCat and other nature-inspired robots.

Google confirmed the acquisition in a Saturday New York Times report, which also broke the story earlier in December about former Android chief Andy Rubin leading a robotics push at Google.

Boston Dynamics gained Internet fame through YouTube videos of its agile, often gas-powered robots dealing with ice, snow, and other obstacles. It's easy to see why the Defense Department -- specifically the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) -- is interested.

Boston Dynamics has a lot of experience with quadrupedal robots, but more recently, it's developed its bipedal Petman, also funded by DARPA.