Robot wars: Boston Dynamics fell out with Google over humanoid Atlas

Mary-Ann Russon for International Business Times:  When former Boston Dynamics employees released video of humanoid robot Atlas – walking unassisted over difficult terrain, such as rocks and snow – Google was reportedly displeased; despite the research receiving high praise from roboticists while wowing the public.

And the real reason Google is selling off Boston Dynamics is, by and large, due to insiders telling Tech Insider that the robotics firm was unwilling to fall in line with the internet giant's vision of a consumer robot for the home.

Google reportedly envisioned the firm as one of nine in a division called Replicant. Initially, under the guidance of Android co-founder Andy Rubin, the firms would continue with existing research and Google would see what ideas and innovations they came up with.  Cont'd...

Featured Product

Midwest Motion Products is a leading provider of robust and reliable Motion Control Products.

Midwest Motion Products is a leading provider of robust and reliable Motion Control Products.

MMP specializes in supplying high-quality Brushed & Brushless DC Motors & Gearmotors for Robotics and Automation Equipment with a wide range of motor windings and gear ratios. With an impressive track record of more than 8,000 released DC Gearmotors designs and over 2,000,000 individual part numbers, we are renowned for our ability to handle large-scale orders. Due to our huge on-hand inventory, we are also well known for lightning-fast delivery of our standard products. We take pride in our dedicated customer service and our team of knowledgeable sales and engineering experts who are ready to assist you with custom design solutions tailored to your specific application. Additionally, we also offer a wide range of complimentary products, such as DC Motor Controls, DC Linear Actuators, AC-DC power Supplies, and DC Servo Amplifiers and others.