Google’s plan to dominate the robotics field is well underway. Already, Google owns a company that make robot arms, a company that makes robot eyes, and now one that makes robot legs.
With last week’s acquisition of Boston Dynamics, an 80-person company that makes robots that can run faster than Usain Bolt and catch their balance after slipping on ice, the Mountain View giant has assembled a world-class team capable of developing the kinds of sophisticated robots we’ve only seen in science fiction. But what, exactly, is Google building?
Google has declined to elaborate on its robotics program, but various experts point to everything from off-road mapping to elder care.
“If you look at all the companies, each one is a key component to what a humanoid robotic system should be one day. But I really don’t know what they plan on doing,” says Erin Rapacki, who worked for Industrial Perception, which makes 3D vision-guided robots, at the time it was bought by Google.
Read also:
Google buys 8 robotics companies in 6 months: Why? (CBS News)
Google buys some creepy robots…now what? (CNBC.com)
Google Buys Another Robotics Firm (Voice of America)
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