Five quadrupedal robots 'Spot' showcased dance routines on 'America's Got Talent.' It feels like watching a well-prepared idol group's debut stage.
Five Spot robots from Boston Dynamics appeared on the representative variety show 'America's Got Talent' aired by NBC. The judges could not hide their amazement, praising, "This is a stage we have never seen before."
'America's Got Talent' is a program where general participants showcase their unique talents, such as singing, dancing, magic, and impersonations. After the performance, four judges evaluate the acts with a 'yes' or 'no', and to advance to the next round, they must receive three or more 'yes' votes.
On the 11th, the official YouTube channel of 'America's Got Talent' posted a video titled 'Boston Dynamics makes history with robot dancing.'
In the video, the five Spots on stage begin dancing to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now.' The Spots cluster together, spread out, and sway side to side, putting on a spectacular performance.
It feels like watching a well-trained idol group's performance. The 'Spots' opened and closed their mouths, mimicking the appearance of a real singer performing. The robots' arms moved like dancers. It was truly 'synchronized' dancing.
However, not all five showed perfect performance. Shortly after the music started, one stopped moving and sat down. Yet, this moment seemed rather 'human(?).' The judges burst into laughter and seemed to enjoy it.
Except for one that collapsed, the remaining four Spots successfully wrapped up the performance, and the audience gave them a standing ovation.
One judge said, "It might have been better for one robot to be stationary as it could show how difficult this is." Another judge asked, "Can it be fixed?" and a researcher from Boston Dynamics explained, "Of course. At Boston Dynamics, we say, 'Create, break, and fix.'"
The moment the researcher said this, one Spot that had been sitting up straightened up and moved to the center of the stage, dancing energetically again, which drew a loud cheer. Another judge evaluated this scene as a stage they had never seen before, and another judge expressed gratitude for providing such a wonderful performance.
Subsequently, all four judges gave the Spots a 'yes' for their performance, promising a future stage.
A representative from Boston Dynamics said, "We were able to implement smooth and emotional movements by using software specialized for dance movements," adding, "If we are invited back for a future broadcast, we will present a new performance utilizing Spots."
Boston Dynamics, a robotics corporation within Hyundai Motor Group, is continuously enhancing its capabilities for the development of intelligent robots based on reinforcement learning, and its bipedal robot Atlas is expected to enter the finished vehicle production line by the end of this year.
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