FAQ

Yes! It’s important to us to show the reality of what our robots can do, so we do not use computer-generated imagery or other editing tricks in our videos. Whether we are showing our latest research or our newest product feature, we focus on showing real capabilities (and sometimes we even show our failures!) Our robots are designed to do real work in the real world, and with thousands of robots deployed on customer sites today, we are setting the standard for mobile robotics.

Boston Dynamics robots are used to automate work in wide variety of industries. Spot is a powerful industrial inspection robot, while Stretch automates case handling in warehouses. Our robots tackle dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks—making operations more efficient and keeping people out of harm’s way.

Yes, we use artificial intelligence (AI) to train new behaviors, improve performance, and enable operators to do more with our robots. We have a proven track record as a leader in machine intelligence and computer vision, with decades of experience tackling tough mobility and manipulation challenges. With the rapid expansion of new AI technologies, we continue to focus on AI behaviors that actually support our customers to unlock value with our robots in very complex environments. 

AI capabilities like reinforcement learning enable our robots to stay stable and traverse even the most difficult terrains, while visual foundation models help our robots approach new obstacles with context. We are able to use the rich data from our test fleet and deployed robots to identify gaps, build robust machine learning pipelines, and deliver practical results with AI for our customers. We are also partnering with roboticists and researchers across the industry to solve future forward challenges and develop the foundational skills for the next generation of AI in robotics.

Police and fire departments are using Spot to get remote visibility into potentially dangerous situations. By remotely assessing a scene before taking action, they can make more informed decisions that reduce risk, improve safety, and de-escalate conflict.

Police and fire departments use Spot to inspect suspicious packages and environments for hazardous materials or explosives, assess hostile threats remotely, and to search structurally dangerous environments in emergency response scenarios. In public safety applications, our robots help keep first responders and the public out of harm's way. Learn more about the ethical principles that guide our policies for public safety use cases.

No. Spot is not designed to conduct mass surveillance or to replace police officers. We will not authorize nor partner with those who wish to use our robots in a way that violates privacy and civil rights laws. We understand that emerging artificial intelligence technologies including computer vision and personal identification algorithms raise questions about the ethics, legality, and potential for bias around their use in the public sphere.

Yes, but only in non-weaponized applications. Spot is a general purpose robot with broad applications, including military uses like remote inspection of hazardous environments, rescue operations, or logistics operations. But our robots are not made specifically for any particular government or military purpose. We strictly prohibit the weaponization of our general purpose robots, as outlined in our terms & conditions, our ethical principles, and in an open letter spearheaded by Boston Dynamics and co-signed by five other leading robotics companies.

Many of the companies represented in the letter do have existing anti-weaponization policies, but there are others in the industry that do not. We’ve seen an increase in makeshift efforts by individuals attempting to weaponize commercially available robots, but this letter indicates that the broader advanced mobile robotics industry opposes the weaponization of general purpose robots and is committed to avoiding it. We are hopeful the strength in our numbers will encourage policymakers to engage on this issue to help us promote the safe use of mobile robots and prohibit their misuse.

Boston Dynamics robots are designed to perform specific work autonomously and to recover autonomously from unexpected situations. For example, Spot automates data capture following inspection routes set by operators; once an autonomous mission is created, Spot will reliably perform the same routine, dynamically replanning around obstacles without operator intervention.

Our products are currently designed for industrial and commercial use. As our technology continues to mature, we are hopeful that we will be able to offer useful and delightful consumer level products. We are as excited as you are about helpful robots in our daily lives, and with the support of our customers, we will get there in the not-too-distant future.