Boston Dynamics Showcases Dancing Dog Called Sparkles

Boston Dynamics has released a video of its robot dog, Spot, dressed up in a sparkly costume and dancing in its warehouse for International Dance Day.

The blue, hairy, glittery costume transforms Spot into “Sparkles”, with the robot using Boston Dynamics’ Choreographer software to dance.

According to the company, the update is intended to “explore the intersections of robotics, art and entertainment.”

Choreographer is a tool for authoring and controlling Spot’s movements more flexibly than typical robotic engineering allows, “bridg[ing] the gap between the creative process of a traditional choreographer and the technical process of programming a robot,” according to Boston Dynamics.

Typically, a robot will follow its programming instructions to the letter, even if the task isn’t physically possible and it will likely fall. By comparison, a dancer would adapt a choreographer’s instructions to fit their capabilities and environment. 

Boston Dynamics’ Choreographer program follows the latter format, allowing non-technical users to instruct Spot, with the robot interpreting the instructions based on its surroundings.

“If asked to do something physically impossible or if faced with an environmental challenge like a slippery floor, Spot will find the possible motion most similar to what was requested and do that instead – analogously to what a human dancer would do,” Boston Dynamics said in a statement.

Related:Boston Dynamics Unveils Electric Version of Atlas Humanoid Robot

In 2022 Boston Dynamics showcased the software in a video celebrating joining the Hyundai Motor Group family, with Spot shown challenging South Korean pop group BTS to a dance-off.