What would you think if you got a package delivered to your front door by a robotic dog? Today, you’d probably be fairly shocked. But in the not-too-distant future, this could be a commonplace occurrence.
Google’s Boston Dynamics has created a robot named Spot Mini that it thinks could potentially get the job done. This is still a long way off from actually happening, as the company’s CEO was simply brainstorming some real-world uses for the robot. But it’s an interesting proposition.
You’ve likely already heard about companies like Amazon working to make drone delivery a reality. But Spot Mini can do some things that drones can’t – like knock on doors, ring doorbells and put packages in specific places.
And for those who are concerned about relying too heavily on robots and automation, the dog still needs a decent amount of human help in order to operate. But using it could simply make deliveries more efficient and allow human workers to avoid the long and grueling process of delivering all those holiday packages.
Real-World Technology Transfer Example
It remains to be seen whether or not Spot Mini will be delivering your next holiday gift haul. But as we see in this real-world technology transfer example, once companies develop technology, they need to find practical applications for it. And given all the impressive capabilities, it seems possible that Spot Mini could have an impact on the delivery game.
Image: Boston Dynamics
This article, “This Robotic Dog Could Soon Deliver Packages (Watch)” was first published on Small Business Trends