Científicos del CSIC desarrollan un perro robótico capaz de

I have mixed emotions about this move to repurpose the utterly terrifying Boston Dynamics robots as service robots, but there are some upsides too.

• Pro: No waste to clean up & dispose of
• Pro: Can be used by people with allergies
• Pro: Has no mouth, will never bite
• Pro: People are less likely to try to pet/distract your service robot
• Pro: Can likely be trained (or sensor-enabled) to recognize more objects and scenarios than a dog can (or at least the specific breeds we employ as service animals)
• Pro: Would be of service for someone’s lifetime (and beyond) if maintained properly
• Pro: Knowledge & personality (if there is one) can be migrated to a new robot if the current one breaks
• Questionable: Potentially less costly to own, assuming power & maintenance is less than the US$1000-2000/yr it costs to own the average dog
• Con: Far more expensive upfront
• Con: Unlikely to be a companion in nearly the same way (though robots with personality is something folks are working on)
• Con: Not warm or furry