Boston Dynamics’ four-legged robot dance crew appeared in “American Got Talent” and performed a routine that was synchronized with Queens’ “Not Stop Now”.
Their performance was impressive enough to win four “yes” votes from the judges, but one of the five robots probably experienced some stage horror and closed down in the middle of the routine. However, the show has to continue, so despite this, the other four robots lasted.
“Can I be honest with you?” Judge Simon Cowell asked at the end of their performance. “I don’t mean this in a cruel way. It was strange that one of them died… because it showed how difficult this was.”
Cowell has its points. Looking at where and how you fail will give you a better understanding of technology.
For many years, Boston’s dynamics have smeared their lips tightly about robotic accidents, cultivating an image of these perfect, futuristic beings that are not wrong. But a few years ago, the company shared footage showing how exactly it should be designed to create the type of video a robot becomes viral.
“The natural consequence of pushing robots to the limits is that sometimes those limitations are met,” Boston Dynamics wrote in a blog post at the time, remarking that Atlas robots often lose their balance and fall while parkouring.
With the silver lining of Boston Dynamics, the robot’s imperfect television performance may be more memorable than a fully executed (dare to robots?) dance. Remember the differential Pikachu?