Robot dog competition

Boston Dynamics robot dog climbing steps with children

Name our robot dog and it could be visiting your school

In 2020, we invited primary school children in the Lothians, the Scottish Borders and Fife to name one of Boston Dynamics' famous YouTube dancing robots after it arrived at our National Robotarium in Edinburgh.

Scientists at the National Robotarium – a world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence research - will use the new arrival to carry out research into how robots could support humans in hazardous environments like offshore energy inspection and disaster recovery.

The £60,000 device could help to protect lives and save money by removing the need for humans to put themselves at risk.

Instead, the robot could be used to carry out dangerous tasks, like search and rescue operations by climbing over rubble or accessing hard-to-reach parts of offshore oil platforms.

Researchers at the National Robotarium will combine the robot with 'telexistence technology', which lets humans experience an environment without being there, using devices like microphones and cameras to relay sounds and videos.

Find out more about the competition on our robot dog webpages. Links for teacher resources are also available on the webpages.