Watch Boston Dynamics’ newest robodog fetch a soda and slip on a banana peel

Boston Dynamics, the high-profile robotics company that Alphabet reportedly doesn't want, has released a video of its latest robot: SpotMini. SpotMini is a four-legged robot that weighs just 55lbs and has an all-electric locomotion system.

SpotMini is one of the quietest robots Boston Dynamics has ever built. In the past, the company has used gas engines and hydraulics in its robots, making loud, outdoor-only bots that sound like dirtbikes or chainsaws. Boston Dynamics' Alphadog was a much larger four-legged robot, but it was deemed too loud by the US Marines when they tested it as a pack mule last year.

The goal with the SpotMini seems to have been to build a robot quiet enough, small enough, and clean enough that it can be used as a house robot. The robot is shown indoors walking up steps and ducking under tables. It even has an attachable arm that lets it do useful things like fetching a soda or cleaning the dishes (well, moving a dish from the sink to the washing machine, but that's a start!).

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