American University Reveals New Robot Dog Concept Design

We have in recent years seen a number of design teams working on what are essentially robot dog projects. There is, of course, the much-loved Sony Aibo that you can buy as a very clean pet (presuming you have a spare £2000). We have also seen the work from Boston Dynamics who are looking to make a more ‘functional’ design.

Following the release of a video, however, the latest to hit the scene is ‘Astro’. Developed by Florida Atlantic University, the robot has (somewhat disturbing) features that attempt to make the balance between the two aforementioned projects. Namely, a realistic presentation but also with high levels of functionality in terms of what it can actually do.

Astro The Robot Dog

As you can see in the video below, Astro is capable of responding to human voice commands. It can move, sit, stop all while having an overall appearance that (roughly to the eye) has a fair approximation of what a dog actually looks like. Albeit, walking with a mildly unusual gait.

It is, however, still more than a little impressive and certainly a window into what the future may hold!

What Do We Think?

Robots are clearly going to play a significant role in the future of technology development. Their uses are practically limitless and, of course, could be used instead of risking human lives in dangerous situations.

Call me crazy though, but those rather expressive eyes Astro has… I just hope that they aren’t the last thing I ever see!

What do you think? Are you impressed with this design? – Let us know in the comments!