This dog won’t hunt
If I’m being honest, I’m writing this just so I can show you a bizarre 52-second video that stopped me in my tracks: it’s a Boston Dynamics Spot robot in a dog costume.
The robotics firm didn’t unveil any new technology or robotics breakthroughs. Nope, this video is just of an unadorned Spot dancing next to another Spot wearing an elaborate, if somewhat cartoonish dog getup.
When I first saw the video, I assumed Boston Dynamics had hired an animation studio to CGI a cute dog next to the $75,000 robot dog, popular in factories and with well-heeled enthusiasts. I was wrong.
According to the video description, « Sparkles is a custom costume designed just for Spot to explore the intersections of robotics, art, and entertainment. » In other words, it’s a blue-and-white sheepdog costume fitted atop a standard Spot.
