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Google Robots Step in for Reindeer


Robotic reindeer pull a Christmas sleigh in this screenshot from a Boston Dynamics video.
Robotic reindeer pull a Christmas sleigh in this screenshot from a Boston Dynamics video.

Robot developer Boston Dynamics has released a holiday greeting in the form of robots pulling Santa’s sleigh.

In the video, the robotic reindeer are pulling a sled as they prance along. Manning the sled is a company employee wishing 'Happy Holidays from Boston Dynamics' as the popular Christmas song “Jingle Bells” plays in the background.

The company, which has developed robots for military use, has become widely known for its YouTube videos showing its robots in action.

Perhaps the most well-known is “BigDog,” which appeared in 2005 in a video showing the 150 kilogram robot serving as a beast of burden for soldiers. Others include the “Cheetah,” a robot capable of moving at speeds in excess of 50 kilometers per hour, and a humanoid robot called “Atlas” that is designed for search and rescue missions.

Boston Dynamics was founded in 1992 by Marc Raibert, a former researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company was bought by Google in 2013.

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