Embedded Files
Google Invests in Robots and The Internet of Things
Boston Dynamics
Nick Bilton | The New York Times
Over the last year alone Google has acquired more than a dozen tech hardware outfits working on projects that might seem crazy today, but could be part of our not-too-distant future.
Let’s look at just a small collection of Google’s recent acquisitions.
There have been several humanoid robot-makers, including Boston Dynamics, which makes two- and four-legged machines that walk and run with an uncanny sense of balance.
There was Holomni, a small design firm that makes high-tech robotic wheels, presumably for more robots, or even Google’s fleet of driverless cars.
And the acquisition of Makani Power, which makes airborne wind turbines, for, well, who knows how Google will use those?
On Monday, Google announced that it is purchasing Nest Labs, which makes Internet-connected home devices like a thermostat and smoke alarm, for $3.2 billion in cash.
What will Google use those little nests for?
The Internet of Things
Google is creating a world of objects with awareness. “Every time I turn on the TV, that’s information that someone is home. When the refrigerator door opens, that’s another sensor, more information. The Nest thermostat can track and collect that information.
But the future will look different, when we have “sensor networks that can evolve, all interacting with these learning patterns.”
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse