Google acquires Boston Dynamics, jumps headfirst into robotics development

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFrjrgBV8K0]

The New York Times reports that Google has just acquired Boston Dynamics, the robotics firm that created machines such as Petman (seen in the video above) and other mechanical terrors wonders that look as close to something out of the Terminator movies as we’ve seen yet.

https://twitter.com/arubin/status/411737161642168320

The buyout comes on the heels of the revelation that the company is planning a move into the robotics industry with Android co-creator Andy Rubin at the helm. Boston Dynamics’ resources and engineers will make an invaluable addition to Google’s growing collection of robotics experts.

Boston Dynamics has created a variety of intelligent machines such as BigDog, which can navigate a pile of cinderblocks and recover from a slip on ice; WildCat, a four-legged machine that can run up to 16 mph; Atlas, an automaton capable of traversing a variety of rough terrains and catching its balance when pushed from the side; and Cheetah, a cousin of BigDog capable of running nearly 30 mph.

You can find more of Boston Dynamics’ creations on the group’s YouTube channel. They’re definitely worth checking out.