Google’s parent company, Alphabet, acquired Boston Dynamics, a robotics company, in 2013. Boston Dynamics had been developing advanced robotics technology, including robots that could clean cafeterias and open doors, among other tasks.
However, in 2018, Alphabet announced that it was selling Boston Dynamics to SoftBank, a Japanese technology conglomerate. At the time of the sale, it was reported that Alphabet was not seeing a clear path to commercialize the robotics technology developed by Boston Dynamics, which may have played a role in the decision to sell the company.
It is not clear whether the specific robots that cleaned cafeterias and opened doors were among the technologies that Alphabet felt were not commercially viable. However, the decision to sell Boston Dynamics suggests that the company was not seeing a sufficient return on its investment in robotics research and development.
To clarify, Google did not lay off robots that clean cafeterias and open doors. Rather, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, decided to sell Boston Dynamics, a robotics company that it had acquired in 2013, to SoftBank in 2018.
Boston Dynamics was known for developing advanced robotics technology, including robots that could perform various tasks such as cleaning, opening doors, and even performing backflips. However, Alphabet had reportedly been struggling to find a clear commercial application for the robotics technology developed by Boston Dynamics.
According to reports at the time, Alphabet had grown frustrated with the slow progress of Boston Dynamics’ development of practical applications for its robots. While the technology was impressive, it was not yet clear how it could be applied in a way that would be profitable for the company.
As a result, Alphabet decided to sell Boston Dynamics to SoftBank. The terms of the sale were not disclosed, but it was reported that SoftBank was interested in the company’s robotics technology and planned to use it to develop products for a range of industries.
While Alphabet and Google have continued to invest in various AI and robotics projects, it appears that the company is focusing on technologies that have a clearer path to commercialization and that can more directly benefit the company’s core business operations.
Just to reiterate, Google did not lay off robots that clean cafeterias and open doors. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, acquired Boston Dynamics, a robotics company that developed advanced robots capable of performing various tasks including cleaning and opening doors.
In 2018, Alphabet sold Boston Dynamics to SoftBank. The decision to sell Boston Dynamics was reportedly due to Alphabet’s frustration with the slow progress of practical applications for its robots. While the technology developed by Boston Dynamics was impressive, it was not yet clear how it could be applied in a profitable way for Alphabet.
The terms of the sale to SoftBank were not disclosed, but SoftBank was reportedly interested in the company’s robotics technology and planned to use it to develop products for a range of industries.
While Alphabet and Google continue to invest in AI and robotics projects, they are focusing on technologies that have a clear path to commercialization and that can more directly benefit the company’s core business operations.
