Google is Building an Army of Advanced Robots

"And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, 'Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.' And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt." - Revelation 9:13-19

Google Buys Scary Military Robot Maker


In December 2013, Google announced that they acquired Boston Dynamics, creators of quad- and bi-pedal robots like Big Dog and PETMAN.

This was Google’s eighth robotics acquisition in 2013. Other robotics companies purchased by Google are based in the US and Japan, and focus on software for advanced robotic arms, grasping technology, and computer vision.

The announcement appeared in the New York Times. Boston Dynamics is known for supplying robotics technology mostly for Pentagon clients, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Boston Dynamics CEO Marc Raibert said they would honor their DARPA military contracts although Google will not officially be a military contractor.

Google may not be planning a defense business, but Google is certainly assembling an impressive array of real-world robots, so we’re going to go ahead and call it an “army,” in the metaphorical sense if not the military one. Add in Google’s self-driving cars and it may be only a matter of time before Google’s robots outnumber humans in the real world, too.

As of now, Boston Dynamics has a $10.8 million contract with DARPA to supply several humanoid Atlas robots. The machines are set to participate in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, which awards the winning maker with a $2 million prize. The contest evaluates robots' ability to function during natural disasters and catastrophes such as an earthquake or a nuclear power meltdown.

Tech giant Google has, so far, refused to reveal what it is planning to produce with the new technology, but the internet giant's robotic efforts will certainly have impressive capability due to the new acquisition. The company also said it will keep the financial aspect of the deal confidential.

Boston Dynamics, founded in 1992 by Marc Raibert, began life as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is known for its fascinating robots, which have the ability to walk through terrain that is difficult even for humans. One of its four-legged robots, BigDog, can climb hills, walk through snow, travel through ice, and remain standing even after being kicked by a human, according to a video of the robot released in 2008. One of the company's recent creations is WildCat, a four-legged outdoor runner capable of rising, turning, and reaching running speeds of up to 16 miles per hour (mph) on flat ground. A video recorded the Cheetah robot running 29 mph faster than the fastest human, Usain Bolt. The Jamaican sprinter's top speed is 27.78 mph (44.7km/h).

Somehow, Google acquired seven robotics companies without anyone noticing. Google’s robot vision is as diverse it is ambitious. But the companies all point to Google’s final goal: to create a smart, mobile, dexterous robot that can work alongside — or in place of —  humans. It’s the type of moonshot that companies like Google — and, indeed, Amazon — have gotten particularly good at making,


Read about the Google’s other seven robot companies — including one that played a key role in filming the movie Gravity.

The Five Most Terrifying Robots in Google's Arsenal 

Related:

• Why is Google building a robot army? 
• Boston Dynamics’ Atlas Robot Really is Here to Help You