Boston Dynamics has released considerable footage of its Petman humanoid robot completing numerous tests, but now the robot has a new edition: clothes.
In a new video, Boston Dynamics shows the Petman robot walking along a conveyor belt in a hazmat suit. At one point, the conveyor belt stops and the humanoid robot pauses to look around. The robot also lifts its hands in a sort of slow jumping jack motion, then stretches its arms forward and performs a kind of sitting gesture. You can see the video below.
Aside from being creepy, the robot has some practical uses. With funding from the Department of Defense, Boston Dynamics plans to use the robot to test the suit in hazardous conditions. Sensors on the robot detect chemicals leaking through the suit. Petman's robotic skin also has a micro-climate through sweating and temperature regulation.
But that's not all. The Petman robot can also get down to Stevie Wonder, as evidenced by a video posted by one commenter. The video juxtaposes the walking hazmat suited humanoid with Wonder's "Superstition." This humanoid just went from creepy to hilariously creepy.
Founded in 1992, Boston Dynamics is an engineering company specializing in making dynamic robots and software that simulate humans. It was originally a spinoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Other inventions by the company include BigDog, a quadruped robot, RISE, a robot that climbs vertical surfaces and SquishBot, a shape-changing robot that moves through tight spaces.
As Boston Dynamics' website states, "We use sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the capabilities of complex mechanisms.... Organizations worldwide, from DARPA, the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps to Sony Corporation turn to Boston Dynamics for advice and for help creating the most advanced robots on Earth."
