Watch a Boston Dynamics robot dog pull a rickshaw
Victorian transportation meets high-tech robotics thanks to former MythBusters host Adam Savage.
Boston Dynamics recently recruited former MythBusters host Adam Savage to experiment with the dog-like Spot Mini to see what the robot is capable of.
Savage previously ran Spot successfully through a police training obstacle course, and now it looks like the robot has a new skill -- rickshaw driver. A rickshaw is a two or three-wheeled passenger cart generally pulled by one man (or in this case a robot) carrying one passenger. They were first used in the late 1800s.
In a new video posted on Feb. 13, with help from Zach Radding from Build Cool Stuff, Savage constructs a custom-made carriage with wheels for Spot to pull.
Spoiler alert: Robot uprising aside, you'll be rooting for Spot. New Spot video, featuring a rickshaw @donttrythis built, here: https://t.co/O6O37g594N pic.twitter.com/eoHODebSvu
— Tested (@testedcom) February 17, 2020
The four-legged robot weighs 55 to 66 pounds (25 to 30 kilograms) and can carry about 31 pounds (14 kilograms). SpotMini is all-electric and can run for up to 90 minutes on a charge.
Considering Savage and the carriage aren't light cargo, it's impressive to see Spot pull the rickshaw along a paved road and uphill at the same time.
