October 30, 2022
An incredible video that shows robo dogs by robotic firm Boston Dynamics dancing to a popular song has stunned the internet.
A total of seven robots are seen dancing to the hit song "Permission to Dance" by K-Pop band BTS. In the beginning of the video, one dog appears on the screen and sings the solo parts of the song.
As the chorus plays, the entire troop dances in a series of synchronised moves seeming to be the boy band itself.
A six-foot-tall bipedal humanoid robot, Atlas, also developed by the same firm, claps to the beat with the Spot dogs for a few seconds during its cameo.
Commenting on the YouTube video, a user said "they could win Britain's Got Talent" while another trolled the company saying they were turning into "an entertainment company".
The dance was arranged for the upcoming "BTS Yet To Come in BUSAN" concert on October 15.
"Atlas' movements are jaw-droppingly human," a user wrote.
"Just like the Turing Test is regarded as a milestone for language models, I'd say the BTS Dance Test becomes 'the' milestone for robot design," remarked another.
The dogs are experienced dancers. Last year, the company launched a video of the "band" dancing to another song "IONIQ: I’m On It" by the South Korean band.
The video featured some impressive moves by the dogs where their arms shot out in the air in several patterns.
"There were a lot of challenges around getting the vision of our choreographer, who’s used to dealing with human dancers, into our software," Eric Whitman, a Boston Dynamics roboticist, wrote in a blog post.
"They have the disadvantage that you have to tell them every little detail. They don’t improvise at all," Whitman added.
Boston Dynamics created the video to celebrate its full acquisition by motor company Hyundai.
"This is actually an incredible feat of engineering wow," a user commented.