SPOT: A PIONEERING MULTIFUNCTIONAL ROBOT

Spot was the first commercial robot developed by Boston Dynamics and marked a breakthrough in creating a versatile autonomous robot, quickly becoming one of the most popular quadrupedal robots.

Robotics is an interdisciplinary field that combines science, engineering, art, and technology to create devices and machines known as robots, which mimic or replace human or animal behaviors. Robots like R2-D2, Gundam, and WALL-E have long captured the imagination of popular culture. Robots are evolving with mechanical and intellectual skills, leaving open the possibility of machines similar to R2-D2 in the future.

The field of robotics is rapidly advancing into a new era where robots will no longer be confined to manufacturing floors but will become part of our everyday lives. High-profile demonstrations of robotic technologies, such as the Spot robot, depict a future where robots will navigate our environments as well.

At Tehno park Celje, we had a unique opportunity to experience the capabilities of the latest Spot robot in person. Spot is a complex and skillfully designed robot. The demonstration was conducted by Amir Bastan, a researcher and developer of robotic applications from the Creative Robotics Laboratory at the University of Linz (Austria). The interaction with humans, integration of movement with cameras, and the way Spot learns about its environment and navigates around obstacles were once the stuff of science fiction.

Dr. Maša Jazbec