Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind Teach Spot to Reason
- Published
- Source
- Spectrum.ieee.orgAutomaton
Boston Dynamics has announced that its quadruped robot, Spot, is now equipped with Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6, a high-level embodied reasoning model designed to enhance the robot's usability and intelligence for complex tasks. This development, revealed today, marks a significant advancement in the commercial deployment of legged robots, particularly in industrial inspections, where Spot will autonomously identify hazardous debris, read gauges, and utilize vision-language-action models for better environmental understanding.
The collaboration aims to improve how robots interpret and interact with their surroundings, addressing the challenges of ensuring that robotic actions align with human reasoning. Marco da Silva, vice president of Spot at Boston Dynamics, emphasized that the new capabilities will allow Spot to autonomously navigate real-world challenges more effectively.
Despite the progress, experts acknowledge ongoing challenges in achieving seamless human-robot interaction. Carolina Parada from Google DeepMind noted that while the Gemini model enhances visual recognition, it currently lacks integration with other sensory data, such as touch, which is crucial for reliable object manipulation. As part of the deployment, customers using Spot for inspections will need to share operational data with Boston Dynamics to further refine the technology.
The introduction of Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 is seen as a step toward creating safer and more reliable robots capable of performing everyday tasks, with the potential to apply these advancements to other robotic platforms in the future.
Original report
Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind Teach Spot to Reason
Spectrum.ieee.orgAutomaton · Evan AckermanThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
Rights concerns? Contact [email protected] with the relevant URL and details. We will review the matter and take appropriate action where warranted.
More related news
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
-
5
Suzy Teele’s Mission at ARM Institute RobotToday · 2 days ago
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Related Suppliers
Unitree Robotics 宇树科技
China
Chinese robotics manufacturer of quadruped and humanoid robots; held ~70% of global quadruped unit sales in 2024 with Go2, B2, H1, and G1 models.
Boston Dynamics
United States
Iconic US robotics firm (MIT spin-off, 1992); Spot quadruped, Atlas humanoid, Stretch warehouse robot; owned by Hyundai; ~$21B valuation.
Sevnce Robot 七滕机器人
China
Chongqing leader in explosion-proof inspection robots for hazardous environments; serves oil, gas, and chemical industries.
Yuanqi Innovation (Xiamen) Robot Co., Ltd. 元启创新（厦门）机器人有限公司
China
Xiamen-based AgiBot VAP partner founded 2025; resells and customises AgiBot humanoids, Genie wheeled robots and D1 quadrupeds with turnkey service.
OM Robot Technology Co. Ltd. 东莞全向机械科技有限公司
China
Chinese manufacturer of mecanum wheels, omnidirectional wheel bases, and mobile robotic platforms for AGV applications.
Techman Robot Inc. (TM Robot) 達明機器人股份有限公司
Taiwan
Techman Robot is a Taiwanese cobot maker producing AI-powered collaborative robots with integrated built-in vision for manufacturing automation.
Ortelio Ltd
United Kingdom
Ortelio Ltd is a UK cloud robotics research company founded in 2011 that develops AI platforms giving robots intelligence for service and healthcare tasks.
Parata Systems
United States
Durham, North Carolina pharmacy automation maker acquired by BD in 2022; builds robotic vial-filling and packaging systems.
Pensa Systems
United States
Austin-based AI retail shelf platform using autonomous drones and CV to detect stockouts; customers include J&J, AB InBev, and Circle K.
ADEK Industrial Computers
United States
US-based industrial PC manufacturer building custom rugged rack-mount, panel, and embedded computers for robotics, SCADA, and HMI applications since 1993.
Aichi Robot Industrial Promotion Council
Japan
Japanese industry council promoting robotics development and diffusion in Aichi Prefecture, one of Japan's largest robot manufacturing hubs.
Arctek Robótica Industrial
Brazil
Brazilian industrial robotics system integrator in Curitiba, Parana, specializing in robotic welding, automated handling, palletizing, and custom automation.
Robotics needs a service framework.
RSF defines a common language for robot service capability, lifecycle operations, certification pathways, and service-provider networks.
Join the RobotToday community on LinkedIn
Daily robotics news, in-depth analysis, conference highlights, and discussions with professionals worldwide.
