SpotMini: headless robotic dog to go on sale in 2019

Former Google robotics outfit Boston Dynamics, famed for its advanced humanoid and canine automatons, has announced that it will begin sale of its headless robotic SpotMini next year. At a robotics conference in California, the company's founder Marc Raibert announced that the slightly creepy SpotMini was currently in pre-production and scheduled for large-scale production and general availability from middle of 2019. The 30kg quadruped can operate up to 90 minutes between charges and is capable of being driven semi-autonomously, but also able to navigate fully autonomously using its series of cameras. "SpotMini's development was motivated by thinking about something that could go in an office or accessible place for businesses purposes, or a home eventually," said Raibert on stage at TC Sessions: Robotics at UC Berkeley. The robot's main frame has a quick-disconnect battery, stereo cameras in the front, side cameras and a "butt cam", but it can also be upgraded with a series of attachments on the top, including an articulated arm.