Thursday, 30 June 2016

Boston Dynamics introduces 'SpotMini' robot
SpotMini, designed by U.S. engineering company Boston Dynamics, is a new smaller version of the Spot robot, weighing 65 lbs (29 kg) including its arm. The machine is all-electric (no hydraulics) and runs for about 90 minutes on a charge, depending on what it is doing. SpotMini is one of the quietest robots the company has ever built. It has a variety of sensors, including depth cameras, a solid state gyro (IMU) and proprioception sensors in the limbs. These help with navigation and mobile manipulation. SpotMini performs some tasks autonomously, but often uses a human for high-level guidance.