Boston Dynamics
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 |
| Head office | Waltham, Massachusetts |
| Press material | No press images released "Except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use, no part of the Site and no Content may be copied, reproduced, republished... without Boston Dynamics' express prior written consent." |
| Website | bostondynamics.com/ |
Who they are
Boston Dynamics builds mobile robots for industry. The company says Marc Raibert started it in 1992, as a spin-off from the Leg Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Robert Playter joined soon after.
The head office is in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company says its robots are designed there and made in the United States. On its own list of common questions it states that Hyundai Motor Group holds 80 percent of the company since June 2021, and SoftBank holds the remaining 20 percent.
What they build
Three robots and one software product are on sale or in early sale. Spot is a four-legged robot for inspection and remote sensing. The specification page gives 33.8 kilograms with battery, a top speed of 1.6 metres per second and 14 kilograms of payload. Average running time is listed as 90 minutes, with a dust and splash rating of IP54.
Stretch is a wheeled robot with one long arm and a suction gripper. It unloads containers and picks boxes in warehouses. The company says it handles cases up to 50 pounds, roughly 23 kilograms, and moves hundreds of cases per hour.
Atlas is a two-legged, human-shaped robot for moving material. The product page lists 1.9 metres tall, 90 kilograms, 56 joints and a four-hour battery that the robot swaps itself. Orbit is the software that plans robot work and collects the data.
Boston Dynamics calls Atlas the world’s most dynamic humanoid robot and an enterprise-grade industrial humanoid. Those are company claims, not checked facts.
What they are known for
Most people know the company from its videos of walking robots. It says the videos show real machines, without computer-generated imagery. Earlier research machines, such as the four-legged BigDog in 2004 and the first Atlas in 2013, built that reputation.
The company also publishes ethics rules. It bans weapons on its robots and says it will not support mass surveillance. It confirms that armed forces use Spot, but only in non-weapon roles.
How they sell
Sales go through contact forms, not a public shop. The company states that Spot and Stretch are commercially available, and that Atlas is in the early stage of its commercial journey. It also says the robots are not meant for private buyers who want them for personal use.
Prices are not published on the website. Boston Dynamics says more than 1,500 Spot robots are with customers, and that it serves customers in over 35 countries. Named customers on its pages include DHL, bp, National Grid, Gap and Otto Group.
The newsroom offers only a form for press questions, with a warning that not every request gets an answer. No photo library with usage rights is published. The site terms reserve the rights to all photographs, so this site does not reuse the company’s images.
Sources
- About Boston Dynamics
- Spot product page and specifications
- Stretch product page
- Atlas product page and specifications
- Orbit product page
- Frequently asked questions
- News and press contact form
- Terms of Use
What changed
- Entry created.