Spot the Robot Dog by Boston Dynamics
Delivers Flawless Performance on "America's Got Talent" Live Stage
Boston Dynamics' robotic dog, Spot, is drawing significant attention after delivering a flawless performance on the live stage of NBC's flagship entertainment show, "America's Got Talent."
On August 26 (local time), five Boston Dynamics Spot robots performed a perfectly synchronized dance routine during the "America's Got Talent" finals held in the United States, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The Boston Dynamics Spot is performing choreography on the live stage of the American TV show "America's Got Talent." Capture from the America's Got Talent YouTube channel.
The performance began with a scene where Sparkle, a furry puppy robot, helped up a Spot that had fallen during the previous audition. The five Spot robots then showcased lively footwork and bouncy choreography to an upbeat song, displaying smooth and precise movements reminiscent of an idol group's group dance.
The highlight of the show came at the end, when another Spot robot appeared and executed three consecutive backflips with ease, bringing the performance to a grand finale. The audience responded with a standing ovation and cheers. After the show, a Boston Dynamics representative explained, "The triple consecutive backflip we just demonstrated is a technique that has never been shown before and is extremely difficult to achieve."
"America's Got Talent" is a survival program where talented individuals compete by showcasing performances such as singing, dancing, magic, and impersonations. Contestants who pass the first audition stage perform live in the finals, and each week, three teams advance to the semifinals based on viewers' votes following the performances.
One of the judges who watched the performance commented, "It was an outstanding show unlike anything we've seen before, thanks to technology. Everyone should have a robot of their own," and encouraged viewers to vote.
Whether Spot advances to the semifinals will be determined by viewers' votes. The teams advancing to the semifinals will be announced on the broadcast airing on August 27 (local time).
Boston Dynamics stated that special software was developed specifically for this performance. They selected music that best showcased Spot's range of motion and designed the routine so that Spot could accurately execute over 1,000 individual movements within just 10 seconds. A company representative explained that applying new software to actual hardware requires a higher level of technology, as physical factors such as gravity, friction, and thresholds must be taken into account.
On August 27 (local time), Boston Dynamics also released a video on its official YouTube channel showcasing the research and development process behind Spot's backflips. Researcher Arun Kumar said, "We continuously trained Spot using simulation and reinforcement learning, and were able to achieve up to seven consecutive backflips."
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