Google buys terrifying robot maker
For years, some of the most amazing and terrifying videos on YouTube robot videos have come from a little company called Boston Dynamics. Its robot prototypes — with names like Big Dog and Wildcat (below) — evoke the kind of science fiction stories that usually end better for the robots than the humans. But this week there’s news that Boston Dynamics, which has worked in close contact with the U.S. military, has been purchased by Google. So what does the tech giant want with a company making military-grade robots? John Biggs, East Coast editor for Tech Crunch, tells Marketplace Tech.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
