Boston Dynamics, the company best known for eccentric videos of animal-like machines, has upgraded its classic robotic dog Spot.

This week, the company unveiled an order-ready version of the four-legged gadget called Spot Enterprise, complete with a self-charging dock, remote operating capabilities and an arm add-on that enables the machine to perform manual tasks such as opening doors and picking up objects.

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In a demonstration video on YouTube, the autonomous machine is shown with a snake-like attachment tethered to its head. The “arm” enables Spot to grip items on the ground and place them in a basket on its back. It also enables the robot to turn door handles and open doors. In a bizarre display of agility, two of the new animatrons use their arms to swing a jump rope while another Spot robot bounces up and down in the middle.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/04/boston-dynamics-spot-arm/