Google buys Boston Dynamics to help it build cool new robots

Dec 14, 2013 10:09 GMT  ·  By

Google has acquired Boston Dynamics, a company that builds crazy robots that can walk and run.

The New York Times reports that the deal is Google’s eighth in the field in the past half-year alone, which means Boston Dynamics’ robots will be joining the company’s growing collection of robots.

The buyout was confirmed by Google on Friday. Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has worked on mobile research robots for the Pentagon has gained international reputation for creating machines that have great balance and that are incredibly fast.

It seems more obvious than ever before that Google is intent on building robots. As it was previously reported, Andy Rubin, the former chief of Android, has moved on to a new division where he’s experimenting with robotics.

Google has been tight-lipped about it all up until now, but the acquisitions are doing all the talking for them. But it’s not really a surprise that Google’s future would include robots. After all, they’re all about experimenting with new things, such as wearable technology, balloons giving out free Wi-Fi to remote areas and self-driving cars.

Rubin’s robotics experiments were called a “moonshot” and he refused to describe specific products that they’re working on, resuming in saying that development could take years. Even the Google self-driving cars, which have been in testing for a while, are said to take about ten more years before they become a reality on the streets.

Google, once more, has declined to say how much money it paid for Boston Dynamics, but did mention that it doesn’t intend to release any type of financial information on the companies it has recently bought.

Dr. Raibert, known as the father of walking robots in the United States, told the NYT that he was excited by Andy Rubin’s and Google’s ability to think “very, very big” and with the resources to make it happen.