Posted February 13, 2018 19:29:03

Engineering and robotics design firm Boston Dynamics has once again released new footage of one of their robots performing an ordinary but surprisingly unnerving everyday task — in this case, opening a door.

In the footage, a four-legged SpotMini robot — unveiled in November last year — uses a claw mount on its head to reach out and deftly manipulate the handle to open and hold the door, keeping it open for its fellow robot.

While it is not the first time Boston Dynamics has shown such footage — Marc Raibert, founder of the firm, showed the Mini's predecessor Spot opening a door during a TED talk last year — it is the first time the Mini has shown the same capability, with the mounted claw.

The company did not release any details along with the video, but the SpotMini is described on its website as "a nimble robot that handles objects, climbs stairs, and will operate in offices, homes and outdoors".

Needless to say, many on social media were not thrilled with the possibilities of this development, with many comparing it to the velociraptor in Jurassic Park or bemoaning their doom in the event of a possible future hostile robot takeover.

The US-based firm says its mission is to "build the most advanced robots on Earth, with remarkable mobility, agility, dexterity and speed" — and has released videos in the past of their various other robot models showcasing new skills.

In December last year, footage of the bipedal humanoid robot Atlas demonstrated its ability to balance, jump, and even do a backflip.

Going even further back, Boston Dynamics showed off Sand Flea, a robot with four wheels that can jump to a height of 10 metres, and Big Dog, a four-legged robot similar to SpotMini that is built to travel across rugged terrain, including mud, snow and water — albeit not very gracefully.

They have also shown footage of their robots' capability to self-correct and right itself after receiving a knock, in a series of tests that look more like a journal of bullying.

Boston Dynamics was sold by Google's Alphabet to Japan's Softbank last year.

Topics: robots-and-artificial-intelligence, human-interest, united-states