The article reports on the performance of Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robot “Spot” on the live stage of NBC’s popular talent show “America’s Got Talent.” The robots delivered a flawless performance reminiscent of idol group choreography, earning a standing ovation from the judges and audience.
In the show’s semi-finals, five Spot robots performed a synchronized dance to Marky Mark’s “Good Vibrations.” The performance featured precise and smooth movements, culminating in a jaw-dropping finale where one Spot robot executed three consecutive backflips, a feat showcased for the first time.
One judge praised the performance as the best animal show due to its perfect execution, while another encouraged the idea of everyone owning a robot. Another judge expressed a desire to see more of the cute dog robot, Sparkle, in future performances. However, one judge was slightly disappointed, expecting Spot to appear in a more unique form, and pressed the red buzzer.
Boston Dynamics aimed to highlight the appeal of robots through these performances. They developed new software specifically for the event, allowing Spot to perform over 1,000 precise movements in a short span. The company mentioned that the showcase underscored the robot’s versatility, also useful in practical applications like bomb disposal.
Boston Dynamics also released a video on their YouTube channel showing the research and development process of teaching Spot to backflip, revealing that they used simulation and reinforcement learning to train the robot to perform up to seven consecutive backflips.