Nov 10, 2020 09:50:00

Is Softbank considering selling Boston Dynamics, the developer of the quadruped robot 'Spot'?

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Boston Dynamics acquired by Softbank in 2017, as a developer of the quadruped walking robot 'Spot' that shows various uses such as being used for remote triage of new coronavirus infected people and being used instead of sheep dogs. It is famous. It is reported that Softbank is considering selling such Boston Dynamics.

SoftBank in Talks to Sell Boston Dynamics to Hyundai --Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-09/softbank-is-said-to-be-in-talks-to-sell-robot-maker-to-hyundai

According to testimony that Bloomberg got from officials, Softbank is negotiating with Korean car maker Hyundai to sell Boston Dynamics. Softbank is proposing to Hyundai to sell Boston Dynamics for $ 1 billion, but sources explained that the talks between the two companies are still in a private stage. I am. In addition, the terms of the sale are still undecided, and there is a good chance that the negotiations will end in a breach.

Bloomberg said that it asked Softbank, Boston Dynamics, and Hyundai for comments on the sale negotiations, but Softbank did not get any comments. In response, a Hyundai spokeswoman said, 'We continue to explore various investment and partnership opportunities,' while Boston Dynamics said, 'Our job is deeper commerce with us.' We continue to excite our partners who are interested in seeking a relationship. '

Boston Dynamics is an independent company founded in 1992 by Professor Marc Raibert of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2013, Boston Dynamics was acquired by Google under the policy of Andy Rubin, who was working on a robotics project within Google. However, Rubin left Google in 2014, and Boston Dynamics took an independent route from Google after that, so it was sold to Softbank in 2017.

Boston Dynamics started commercial sales of the quadruped walking robot 'Spot' in September 2019, and also started sales to the general public in June 2020. However, low profitability has been pointed out for some time, and it seems that this was the main cause of the sale by Softbank.

Quadruped walking robot 'Spot' can be purchased for 8 million yen --GIGAZINE

Hyundai, which is being considered as a sale destination, manufactures industrial robots for use in factories, so there is a possibility that Boston Dynamics technology will be utilized in that field.