What are those creepy robotic animals for? Boston Dynamics offers hints CBC News

It's never been clear whether robotics company Boston Dynamics is making killing machines, household helpers, or something else entirely. For nine years, the secretive firm -- which got its start with U.S. military funding -- has unnerved people around the world with YouTube videos of experimental robots resembling animal predators. In another, a small wheeled rover nicknamed SandFlea abruptly flings itself onto rooftops -- and back down again. A more recent effort features a slender dog-like robot that climbs stairs, holds its own in a tug-of-war with a human and opens a door to let another robot pass. Boston Dynamics has demonstrated little interest in elaborating on these glimpses into a possible future of fast, strong and sometimes intimidating robots. For months, the company and its parent, SoftBank, rebuffed numerous requests seeking information about its work.