Robots dance better than you!

Posted on by Mike Shannon

First, let’s start with a fun 2:55 minute video showing robots dancing! This should get you pumped 🙂

Wow. That was amazing.

So let’s ask the question…

How is a Robot able to dance?

Code! Yes, those robots by Boston Dynamics were programmed in one way or another to dance to the “Do you Love Me” song by The Contours. And they didn’t do a bad job either.

Got to love the robot dog and wheeled robot thingy, too.

I should probably mention these robots are super advanced with tons of parts and mechanical joints. My guess is those help too.

And nope, those robots are not CGI (not computer graphics). They are real.

Yea I was thinking the same question.

And here’s another one of “Spot” the robot dog doing UpTown Funk

And if you have a cool $74k to drop you too could own one of these fancy little guys.

Which programming languages are used to write the software that operates these robots?

Word is C and C++ and maybe a little Python (Python’s popularity has been on the rise in recent years). But that’s not an official answer from Boston Dynamics.

One reason C and C++ is popular among robotics folks is those languages provide interaction with low-level hardware, allowing for real-time performance and are very mature programming languages.

Robots like spot are also using artificial intelligence to navigate around, as well as performing industrial tasks like read gauges and detecting oil or water leaks. (And dancing to The Contours let me remind you!)

Where will Robots and the software that runs them go next?

My guess is artificial intelligence will continue to make incremental gains in all areas, including robotics. Maybe robots will save the restaurant industry?

Wherever they go you can bet the number of people and jobs powering those robots and software will continue to grow over time (22% by 2029 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compared to 4% for all occupations.)

The world is moving towards higher efficiency and automation. And it’s an exciting time to be a part of it 🙂