Robot Overlords Gain Parkour Skills, R&B Grooves and Independence. We’re Doomed!

So you thought your parkour game was on point, right? Didn’t we all! But guess who just blew us off the parkour pedestal? Robots from Boston Dynamics, no less… who are also not too shy to bust some sick moves on a classic R&B tune, to add insult to injury for us feeble humans. To add a cherry on this cake of human insignificance, the company’s big cheese, Marc Raibert, is running an institute to make these machines more independent. What could possibly go wrong?

Main Takeaways: The ‘Can’t Touch This’ Robot Edition

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Boston Dynamics, creators of internet sensation robots that can pull off parkour stunts and bust a move like MC Hammer, have stolen the hearts of netizens (and some of our fears too).

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The big man in charge, Marc Raibert, previously being satisfied with making his robot minions dance and flip, is now leading an institute. And the agenda? To give these robots more independence, a ‘these aren’t the droids you’re looking for’ twist if you ask me!

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While we are all amazed, and somewhat alarmed, by the feat of these dancing and parkour acing robots, the man behind the curtain, Raibert, explains that much work needs doing before these machines can operate effectively without human instruction. We have a tiny bit of time left, folks!

Signing Off: Backflipping into the Future

Well, this is the future people, jump in or jump out (though make sure you perfect your backflip first because the bar’s been set real high). However, before you get totally bummed out at the prospect of getting shown up by breakdancing, parkour-mastering robots at your friend’s next house party, a word of comfort from Boston Dynamics tells us that these bots still have much to learn to be truly independent. And to be honest, who doesn’t enjoy seeing a robot cutting a rug (as long as it’s not YOUR rug) anyway? So, in the meantime, let’s enjoy the show. Can’t touch this, humans!