The Red Bulletin June 2019 (UK)

B U L L E V A R D
ANYmal: it won’t chew
the sofa, poo on the
carpet, or try to hump
your leg… unless you
program it to
Robotic courier
POSTMAN’S
BEST FRIEND
The future of home delivery
is going to the dogs
B efore too long, dogs
may be in charge of more than
just bringing you the morning
newspaper. In partnership with
automotive firm Continental,
robotics start-up ANYbotics
has conjured up another view
of the future: one where
packages are delivered by
mechanical canine courier.
ANYmal is a multipurpose
robot with the ability to sense
its surroundings and carry
heavy weights while traversing
complex terrain. “It’s a delivery
robot the size of an average
dog,” says Péter Fankhauser,
co-founder of the Zürich-based
start-up. “Standing 70cm
tall and 80cm long, it has a
camera in its head, flexible
joints, and is able to jump and
move autonomously in an
unfamiliar environment.”
ANYmal is not the only canineinspired
automaton around:
Boston Dynamics’ SpotMini,
unveiled in 2016, was demoed
opening doors. When the
robopocalypse comes, it’s likely
to enter the room on all fours.
In the meantime, we’re
still convinced they’ll serve us.
Visitors to electronics trade
show CES in Las Vegas in
January saw ANYmal step off
a delivery truck with a parcel,
walk up to a front door in a
mocked-up suburban garden,
ring the doorbell, then leave
the package on the porch.
While the reality of these
delivery dogs may be a while
away yet, in the shorter term
ANYbotics is planning to use
them to carry out industrial
inspections or safety work
in conditions that would be
too hazardous for humans.
Or indeed real dogs.
anybotics.com
ANYBOTICS CHRISTINE VITEL
16 THE RED BULLETIN