Google plans to sell Boston Dynamics robotics division - report

Those worried about a future of Google-controlled robots taking over the world need fret no more, as the search engine giant has reportedly decided to sell off its advanced Boston Dynamics robotics research division.

The sale comes as executives at Google parent Alphabet have begun to question whether the robotics efforts would yield a marketable product in the near future, according to Bloomberg. The company is working to ensure that each of its operating groups has a reasonable strategy for generating revenue as it seeks to attract more entrepreneurially-minded employees.

Google X executive Jonathan Rosenberg is said to have told members of Google's robotics team — including those at Boston Dynamics — that the division "cannot spend 30-plus percent of our resources on things that take ten years," adding that "there's some time frame that we need to be generating an amount of revenue that covers expenses and (that) needs to be a few years."

Toyota and Amazon, which each have significant investments in robotics, are tabbed as likely acquirers.

Boston Dynamics, thrust into the public consciousness through YouTube videos of its quadruped robots, was acquired by Google in 2013. The focus has since shifted toward humanoid robots, which is said to have caused some concern among Google's public relations staff.

"There's excitement from the tech press, but we're also starting to see some negative threads about it being terrifying, ready to take humans' jobs," Google X spokeswoman Courtney Hohne is said to have told colleagues. She added that the group would not "want to trigger a whole separate media cycle about where BD really is at Google."

It's not clear if the Boston Dynamics sale is representative of a larger drawdown in robotics research at Google, or whether the company is simply focusing its resources on what it views as more achievable goals.

38 Comments

levi 344 comments · 10 Years

About 8 years ago

Ha, that was quick.

sog35 said:

LOL.

but, but, but, but, Apple Watch is a failure.....only sold 12 million units in its first year.....

Another multi-billion loss for Google. Add this to the Motorola disaster and soon to be Nest disaster.

Certainly doesn't look good to do these big splashy aquisitions only to sell them off a few years later, especially for management. I also wonder if companies may consider when Google comes calling. Probably not for most, as money talks, still it certainly won't help.

clemynx 1550 comments · 16 Years

FAIL

Google is becoming worried that their revenue isn't solid enough.

jameskatt2 722 comments · 16 Years

Another Google Failure. So predictable. When Google tries something unrelated to ads, it fails. Where Google succeeds: 1. Ads 2. Search (provides ad revenue) 3. Maps (provides ad revenue) 4. Mail (leads to targeted ad revenue) 5. Android (provides a platform for ad revenue) Robots don't provide ad revenue. And it also shows how Google doesn't think long-term since it doesn't want to wait 10 years to produce revenue from a project. And it also doesn't want the negative publicity of replacing people's jobs. Cars don't provide ad revenue. The recent crash certainly questions their safety. Google killing users is bad news. Autonomous cars have to work perfectly. But Google doesn't do perfect.

tmay 6455 comments · 11 Years

sog35 said:

91% of Google's revenue is from Ads. And Wall Street calls Apple a one trick pony. What a fricken joke.

Alphabet's non-Google related revenue was a pathetic $448 million last year. This includes revenue from Nest, Google Fiber, Verily (the company trying to solve immortality, seriously), GoogleX, Boston Robotics, and Google Car. That is absolutely pathetic. That is less revenue then what AppleWatch did in ONE MONTH. Yet Wall Street says AppleWatch was a failure. Even though AppleWatch did about $4 billion in revenue last year versus $448 million for all of Google's other bets companies.

Even worse Google's other bets companies lost $4.2 BILLION last year.

That is why Google is selling Boston Robotics. They are trying to stop the bleeding. Yet Wall Street gives Google a pass for losing almost $20 billion the last 3 years from their side projects (included the Motorola disaster) that have netted close to ZERO revenue.

Alpha_et