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..and Amazon is gonna start using drones to deliver packages.
Android founder Andy Rubin's secret Google project: building real robots
By Sean Hollister on December 4, 2013 12:57 am Email88COMMENTS
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When Android founder Andy Rubin stepped away from the mobile operating system he helped create, rumors suggested he would pursue his lifelong love of real robots instead. Now, The New York Times reports that those rumors were true: Google has purchased seven different robot companies for a secretive new robotics initiative — and placed Rubin at its head.
"I HAVE A HISTORY OF MAKING MY HOBBIES INTO A CAREER."
The story apparently comes from Rubin himself, who granted the Times an interview, but wouldn't provide many details about Google's plans. Apparently, the robot group is distinct from the Google X lab which has become synonymous with the company's crazier hardware projects, such as self-driving cars and balloon-powered internet. However, Rubin told that the new division — which could even be spun off as a separate company — is still pursuing a "moonshot" of that sort. Currently, Rubin is hiring roboticists for the project, which the Times reports will maintain offices in both Palo Alto and Japan.
It's not clear what kind of robots the group will build, but several of the companies involved previously built humanoid robots and robotic arms, and it seems like Rubin is suggesting that Google's creation might be able to move, reach, and grab things like a person. According to "several people with specific knowledge of the project," the robots will likely be used in manufacturing rather than sold to consumers, and might specifically be used in electronics assembly — which could fit well with the tech industry's recent push for Made in the USA products. China's Foxconn, which produces many consumer electronics devices including Apple products, began replacing workers with robots last year. US companies attempting to reduce dependance on China might want to follow suit. There's already one company building a robot that attempts to fill that niche: Baxter, a $22,000 "co-working" robot designed to assist humans with basic assembly line tasks without risk of injury.
For Rubin, manufacturing is a return to the past. According to a 2007 profile, Rubin began as a robot engineer at lens manufacturer Carl Zeiss, and had a brief stint at Apple as a manufacturing engineer before devoting his working hours to developing computers instead. However, robotics remained a hobby, with Rubin both building his own and amassing a collection of robots from Japan. The Android operating system's name was no accident: Rubin's coworkers at Apple started calling him "Android" because of his love of robots, and he adopted the name to his own purposes years later.
Now, Google has allowed him to build those robots all day long. "I have a history of making my hobbies into a career," Rubin told the Times. "This is the world's greatest job. Being an engineer and a tinkerer, you start thinking about what you would want to build for yourself."
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..and Amazon is gonna start using drones to deliver packages.
inb4 skynet joke
More like Age of Ultron
That is gonna happen tbh
Hollywood illuminatis warning us imo without really warning us, so they can later say " hey we warned you "
They should do something productive and make a robot to cook and clean. Then the woman can focus solely on performing high quality sex acts.
that , I'm getting super hot Android babes who will never age
Add the ability to brew beer, dispense out of the nipples and I'll preorder right now.
Mmm. .. Boobrew
This is going to happen eventually tbh.
And all you unskilled Spurstalk posters are going to be out of a job because a robot is going to be able to flip that burger for you. Enjoy your welfare and homeless shelters tbh!
They warned about quarantines for some time now. That's s. It far off either.
We've got to do something guys
Assemble !
as long as japan keeps making playstations my life is good
Google Acquires Boston Dynamics, Maker of Crazy, Walking Robots
Google seems pretty keen on robots as of late. The bigger question remain: Why?
The company announced on Friday that it had officially acquired Boston Dynamics. The name might not ring a bell to you, but we're certain that you've likely seen the fruits of their robotic labors at some point in your YouTube browsing.
If the name "BigDog," "Cheetah," "WildCat," or "Atlas" don't sound familiar, then perhaps a description might help: They're some of the super-agile, can-traverse-any-terrain, run-like-heck robot creations that typically feature four legs and an absurd amount of engineering prowess.
And now, they're Google's.
Speculation as to what Google might do with its new, four-legged friends — or, at least, the research behind them — is covering a lot of territory. The New York Times, first on the scene with the news about the acquisition, writes that Google's likely to use the technology to "build a new class of autonomous systems." As for whether the robots will fetch your package or take care of your elderly grandmother (two examples the Times cited), it remains to be seen.
Otherwise, we really have no idea just what Google might have in store, or how this robotics-themed acquisition could fit into Google's existing product lineup. What we do know, however, is that Google's been ramping up. This acquisition – for an undisclosed price, we note – is Google's eighth in the last half-year or so. And it's clear that the moves are part of a new robotics initiative at Google, led by former Android founder Andy Rubin.
"The future is looking awesome," Rubin tweeted Friday, including a link to the Times' article about Google's acquisition.
Whatever Rubin has in store, he's recently described his efforts as a "moonshot." That said, he also wants to get Google robots – or Google-created robotic technology of some sort — into the market within a reasonable time frame. He doesn't want product development to lag for years; rather, he said he believes that he'll be able to deliver Google 'bots at some point over the next few years.
Interestingly, Boston Dynamics currently enjoys a $10.8 million contract with the Pentagon's Defense Aadvanced Research Projects Agency — to name one ongoing government contract. Google representatives said that the company intends to honor Boston Dynamics' existing contracts, thought the Google doesn't "plan to move toward becoming a military contractor on its own," the Times reports.
Lefty learn how to post normal articles without ed up codes you .
Oh and they also make those humanoids
Those + Google Glasses = good bye fellas
Robot Handjobs Are The Future, And The Future Is Coming
http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/arc...34444eb70002bd
The Second Law of Robotics is: A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings.
awesome imo
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