Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics specializing in robotics is founded in 1992 by Marc Raibert. The company found broad popularity after creation of the four-footed  fighting robot with adaptive control of BigDog by request of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

History

2020

Hyundai purchased Boston Dynamics for $880 million

On December 11, 2020 Hyundai Motor Group announced purchase of Boston Dynamics within which the American producer of robots is estimated at $1.1 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hyundai Motor will receive 80% of Boston Dynamics, and Softbank will have 20%. How many the South Korean producer will pay for acquisition of a share in Boston Dynamics, it is not specified. However taking into account the stated assessment of the producer of robots in $1.1 billion it turns out that expenses of Hyundai Motor within the transaction could make $880 million. The day before before the declaration of the transaction the The Korea Economic Daily edition with reference to the sources announced transaction amount in $921 million.

Hyundai purchased Boston Dynamics for $880 million

From the buyer subsidiary companies — Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis and also the chairman of the board of directors of Hyundai Motor Group the Ison Chong (Euisun Chung) participate in the transaction.

In the press release of Hyundai it is told that Boston Dynamics technologies will help the South Korean company to create robots for service and logistics, and in the long term — "robot nurse" for care of patients. Developments of Americans can be useful also in the field of pilotless transport and smart productions. As the main directions of development Hyundai calls industrial logistics and industrial automation. In particular, she noted that in 2021 Boston Dynamics will provide the mobile robot for work in warehouses.

Despite popularity of Boston Dynamics robots on YouTube, business does not make profit, noted Bloomberg. In September, 2020 the CEO of the company Robert Pleyter said VentureBeat that the producer expects to become profitable "approximately in two and a half years".

Chong expressed an ison the intention of concern to reduce dependence on traditional production of cars. He said that 20% of its future business will fall on robotics, at the same time production of cars will occupy 50% of turnover and another 30% will fall on projects in the field of city aircraft. ^[1]

Consider acquisition by Hyundai company $1 billion

The Korean carmaker Hyundai purchased the producer of Boston Dynamics robots from the Japanese SoftBank. It became known on December 10, 2020.

According to the Korean edition, transaction amount will be slightly less than 1 trillion wons (about $921 million), it will be completed on December 10 at a meeting of the Board of Directors of Hyundai. Hyundai Motor will finance about a half of cost, and its subsidiary companies, including the producer of auto parts of Hyundai Mobis Co., will pay the rest.

According to The Korea Economic Daily, Hyundai is going to invest in robotics up to 1.5 trillion wons ($1.4 billion) by 2025. The vice-chairman of Hyundai Motor Eysun Chung said earlier that 20% of future business of concern will fall on production of robots.

Hyundai already makes the practical industrial robots intended for factory use, wrote before Bloomberg. Boston Dynamics, according to the agency, reminds the research organization, than business more, making "technology advanced, fancy, but unprofitable" machines^[2].

2019: Purchase of software developer for Kinema Systems robots

At the beginning of April, 2019 Boston Dynamics announced acquisition of a startup of Kinema Systems, thereby having designated shift towards commercialization. Earlier Boston Dynamics was generally concentrated on researches in the field of robotics. Read more here.

2017: Sale of the Japanese Softbank to the company

On June 9, 2017 the Japanese telecommunication corporation Softbank announced Boston Dynamics acquisition. The announcement of this transaction promoted rise in quotations of the buyer for 7.9% to a maximum of 17-year, Reuters reports.

Boston Dynamics sells the Alphabet holding created on the basis of Internet giant Google. In addition to Boston Dynamics, the Softbank company buys from Alphabet of one more developer of robots – the Japanese Schaft. It is known on creation and production of the robotic solutions simulating movements of the person. Schaft is created in 2012 at the University of Tokyo. Financial conditions of agreements between Softbank and Alphabet do not reveal.

The robot developed by Boston Dynamics company

"Smart" robots become the key driver of development of a new stage of information revolution, and Mark Raybert [the founder and the CEO of Boston Dynamics – comments of TAdviser] and its command in Boston Dynamics became explicit technology leaders in creation of advanced dynamic robots, – the head of SoftBank Masayoshi Son said.

SoftBank did not specify whether Boston Dynamics will become division of corporation or will separately work. The producer of robots confirmed the transaction and said that he is glad to "a new opportunity to move apart borders of the fact that modern robots can".

In May, 2017 Softbank announced creation of investment fund of $93 billion in size Masayoshi Son said that among other things the fund which became the largest in the IT industry will invest development of technologies in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics.

It should be noted that Alphabet, on the contrary, lost in due time interest in robots, having understood that money it is necessary to put a huge number in them, and they will bring return in the long-term future if it in general happens.^[3]

2016: Information on sale

On March 17, 2016 it became known of the preparing Boston Dynamics sale. Among buyers of the producer of robots — the Japanese auto giant Toyota and online retailer Amazon.

That the Alphabet holding which basis is the Google corporation, intends to sell Boston Dynamics, Bloomberg with reference to the informed sources reported. According to them, in Alphabet began to doubt in capability of Boston Dynamics in the next years to put on the market a ready-made product which will be able to make profit.

Besides, it is announced unwillingness of development team of Boston Dynamics to cooperate with other engineers of Google. In December, 2015 the division entering into Alphabet in the field of robotics of Replicant passed into Google X laboratory, but the Boston Dynamics command refused to do the same.

Then the head of Google X Astro Teller (Astro Teller) told the staff of Replicant that if they are not engaged in the solution of practical problems, then "will be transferred to other projects", he notes the edition.

Interlocutors of news agency call two main applicants for Boston Dynamics acquisition — a research institute of Toyota and the Amazon company implementing robots in the centers of order processing. The specified companies did not begin to comment on the rumors concerning Boston Dynamics purchase at the request of correspondents of Bloomberg.^[4]

2013: Purchase by Google company

The Google company purchased Boston Dynamics in 2013 for $500 million. Then the company had a contract with DARPA for delivery of Atlas robots worth $10.8 million. To it permitted to cooperate with the Ministry of Defence of the USA. Boston Dynamics translated under management of Google X which specializes on perspective projects. In 2013 Google purchased eight more robotic companies. As a result of absorption about 300 employees of Boston Dynamics passed into the division of Replicant which is engaged in creation of robots.

Boston Dynamics showed humanoid robot Atlas. Device height — one and a half meters, and weight — 75 kg. The robot capable to lift up to 11 kg of loads works from the battery and analyzes a surrounding situation using lidars (they are also set in unmanned vehicles). Atlas created by request of DARPA for robotic tender at which they the developer suggested to create design of Atlas and to write on it own software.

2009

In 2009 in DARPA told about BigDog tests. The robot transferred a mortar weighing 36 kg on almost impassable section 200 m long and also in a standalone mode followed for military 13 km. The machine overcame this distance in three hours. Same year directed to DARPA $32 million for the improved version of BigDog. Modification of LS3 was shown in 2012. The device could transfer loads weighing up to 180 kg to distance to 32 km. But in 2015 military refused LS3 because the robot too noisy.

In April, 2009 in DARPA signed the contract for $26 million with MRIGlobal (manages researches of Department of energy and U.S. Department of Defense). The Ministry of Defence of the USA wanted to receive the anthropomorphous robot for tests of suits of chemical protection. The design for robots was created in Boston Dynamics. In the same place also assembled robots. The ready device could go and creep independently.

1992-2002

Professor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Mark Reybert founded Boston Dynamics in 1992. Before he developed several years robots in the Leg Lab laboratory — devices could keep balance, run or climb small ladders. In the early nineties Reybert together with students helped to create robots on the shooting stage of the fighter Rising sun with Sean Connery. After participation in shootings Reybert wanted to be engaged in a product and^[5] created Boston Dynamics^[6].

Boston Dynamics developed the paid software for work with 3D models and at the beginning of zero the company signed the contract with the Center of fighting application of sea aircraft and American Systems company. Together they developed the simulator of ejection of pilots (before showed to pilots video tutorials). The exercise machine which created interactive scenarios for trainings cost $1.3 million. The final version of the exercise machine was submitted in 2002.

Then the company was engaged in robots. So, in the company tried to create the device with legs, as at a cockroach which could climb up different surfaces. In 2003 Boston Dynamics began to work with Management of perspective research projects the Ministry of Defence of the USA (DARPA). The Ministry of Defence ordered from the company of robots mules who had to transport heavy loads. In two years Reyberta company together with developers from NASA, Harvard and robotic Foster Miller created a prototype of the BigDog robot capable to transport on themselves up to 45 kg of loads. The device saved balance even after blow.

Robotics