Boston Dynamics’ robots are painting the picture of a future where their weird dog / horse machines will help us carry heavy loads and other items across odd terrains or long distances. That might be where the inspiration comes for their Christmas greeting for 2015, tapping into the mythology behind Santa Claus and mixing it with the horrors of modern technology.
Yeah, the hyperbole about techno terror usually follows these clips for good reason. These weird robots, while helpful, look very odd making their way across the land. Even dressing one up like Rudolph and pretending to wish everybody a merry Christmas isn’t comforting when you see these things trotting past. I’ve played Metal Gear Solid too many times to feel comfortable knowing that we could very well be close to having Geckos — not that close, but close enough for weird Infowars fueled nightmares.
Then again, maybe these things are cute in the right light. Give them a calming color scheme and furry legs and the next thing you know, you’re best friends with a robot pack mule. It could happen.
(Via Boston Dynamics)