this post was submitted on 30 May 2025
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A Boring Dystopia
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In a past job, I got a chance to deal with one of those Boston Dynamics robot dogs in action. Was not impressed.
Given NYC, would not be surprised if they're tagged, sensors are torched, or they're covered in bodily fluids. Or they end up at the bottom of the Hudson river shortly after deployment.
Come to think of it... most likely scenario: scrapped and sold for parts.
They will have to be very well designed and able to withstand powertools. Once people figured out how to remove batteries from rental ebikes/scooters it quickly becomes a thing.
May I ask what didn't impress you? From what I saw online it's pretty much just walking robot you can putt sensor/robotic hand/ and such things on it. And seems like for that it is great but I'd assume the price tag for something that can't do that much is steep. Just curious what real use they have and what they are bad at.
As someone who works with (industrial) robotics, unless this thing is actually just a pov drone operated by someone nearby (and thus not a robot) its going to be so buggy and sloppy after ten mins in the real world.
It's been a while, but for the price, it had an under-powered processor and anything other than just walking around had to be custom programmed. It got used for a few trade shows, where people watched it walk around, sit down, etc. Robotic grappling arm? There were more stable, wheeled platforms where you could actually place items and autonomously have it delivered.
Main use-cases were as an overpriced security guard, or a webcam with legs, but the operations costs were pretty high. It couldn't really get around hilly, dirt or muddy terrain, so you had to stick to paved routes. There were attachment peripherals, but for every single use-case, there were better, cheaper, more flexible equivalent solutions.
The most impressive thing was the coordinated movement of the legs, pretty solid build, and the sound of the servos. But that meant you couldn't use it for stealth scenarios. Oh yeah, it looked pretty menacing and scared children.
We figured if it was ever put out into real service, it would get jacked by a few yokels with a pickup truck, or smashed up by highschoolers on a dare. Eventually the novelty wore off, and it got retired to a demo area for visiting customers.
If they ever have these in Manchester it’d end up with hooded scallies riding hacked ones around and they’d get dumped in a canal. The Street finds its own use for things.