Sparkles: Boston Dynamics unveils a furry robot dog that can dance (video)

Boston Dynamics has revealed Sparkles, a robot dog that looks like a huge fluffy toy dog and can dance and entertain people. It is made on the basis of the already well-known robot Spot - with the goal of exploring the intersection of robotics, art and entertainment.

In a video released by the company, Sparkles showed off his dancing skills in a joint performance with the original Spot. This performance was organized using the innovative Choreographer tool, which allows you to create and control the robot’s movements to music via the Spot API.

Choreographer, introduced last year, removes the traditional barriers between a choreographer's creative process and the technical aspects of robot programming. By analyzing the physical capabilities of the Spot and its surroundings, Choreographer ensures movement is fluid and elegant, helping you create immersive shows and performances.

The "sports intelligence" built into Spot allows it to perform tasks at a higher level, reacting to challenging situations and environmental conditions. This makes Sparkles and other robot dogs from Boston Dynamics unique performers, capable of bringing to life the most daring ideas of choreographers and directors.

Let us remind you that Boston Dynamics also develops humanoid robots. The company recently introduced a new version of its all-electric Atlas robot. The robot will become a commercial product along with the robotic arm Stretch and the robot dog Spot. The company's first customer will be car manufacturer Hyundai, which plans to use the humanoid robot for testing at its production facilities starting in 2025.

How and what the robot will do in production is still unknown. But it is known that he already knows how to unpack and move shock absorbers. And also, jump and run over rough terrain, do somersaults, lift and throw objects.