Google may soon be in the business of building robots, as the company announced that it purchased eight firms in 2013 that specialize in robotics, including a military contractor.
Google completed its latest deal late last week with the acquisition of Boston Dynamics. The military contractor, which started out in 1992 as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializes in building robots and software for human simulation.
The company has worked on projects for the United States Armed Forces and for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense.
It’s also gained a huge online following after releasing videos of some of its inventions.
There is “Cheetah,” a four-legged robot that the company says is capable of running faster than top Olympians.
Another robot the company has developed, “Sand Flea,” has the ability to lead onto buildings.
“Wildcat” is a large robot that can run at fast speeds and make quick turns.
Google said the new acquisitions will be assembled into the company’s new robotic division, headed by Andy Rubin. Rubin oversaw Google’s creation of the Android software which has become the world’s leading mobile operating system.
Google’s CEO Larry Page said in an online statement that he is excited to have Rubin running the division.
“His [Rubin’s] last big bet, Android, started off as a crazy idea that ended up putting a supercomputer in hundreds of millions of pockets,” Page said in the statement. “It is still very early days for this, but I can't wait to see the progress.”
With files from The Associated Press
