Boston Dynamics Spinoff Targets Entertainment Robots
Dynamic Creatures, a spin-off from Boston Dynamics, has entered the market to build robots for theme parks and retail purposes. The company focuses on developing software and procuring hardware from suppliers like Unitree, AgiBot, and Boston Dynamics itself.
Marc Theermann, CEO of Dynamic Creatures, emphasizes the need for a renewed approach to safety, aiming to create robots that people will feel comfortable interacting with, particularly through physical contact.
Boston Dynamics, however, opts not to directly engage in character development, stating that it is not their core expertise.
The engineering challenges involved are practical and detailed, such as addressing costume obstructions to vision systems or managing heat dissipation issues. While the specific plans for parks and implementation timelines remain undisclosed, these robots are expected to make their debut soon.
Interestingly, Europe already has a comprehensive rulebook in place for this kind of robot through its Machinery Regulation, which comes into effect on January 20, 2027, covering AI safety functions and self-evolving machinery. This regulation was initially created by the French company Aldebaran but later acquired by a Chinese buyer.
The situation presents an unusual scenario: an American software company developing robots primarily powered by Chinese hardware, all within a category originally pioneered and now owned by a Chinese entity.
Meanwhile, Paris-based UMA, founded by a former Tesla Optimus researcher, is also working on humanoid robots and aims to bring them to European theme parks around the same time as the new regulations take effect.