The personal robots of the future depicted in science fiction could happen a lot sooner in this lifetime than most people think. At Yahoo Finance's Invest summit, Allie Garfinkle interviews Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter about the firm's premier robotics projects, "Spot" and "Stretch."
Spot is a four-legged mobile robot that can autonomously navigate warehouses, taking thermal and acoustic measurements while reading gauges to ensure safe factory operation. Playter brought an actual Spot robot on stage to demonstrate its mobility and camera vision system that allows it to move confidently without human guidance.
Stretch is Boston Dynamics' robot designed for repetitive lifting tasks like unloading shipping containers. By automating these strenuous jobs, Stretch enables warehouses to reassign human workers to more complex tasks. While starting with shipping containers, Stretch's box-moving capabilities make it flexible for various warehouse needs.
Playter emphasized the scalability and use-case value of Boston Dynamics' robots. With large upfront costs of around $100 million, three key factors must align for success: 1) effectively fulfilling the intended purpose, 2) attractiveness to buyers, and 3) providing return on investment with long-term scalability. Playter believes Boston Dynamics' advanced robots offer this sort of scalable automation solution for warehouses.
"AI is the brain, the robot is the body, and together I think we're going to build an entirely new industry that's going to change business. It's gonna change the way we live," Playter tells Yahoo Finance.
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