Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos took an unusual stroll with man’s best friend to kick off his company’s annual robotics conference.
The billionaire posted on Twitter a picture of himself “walking” his futuristic four-legged friend, the canine-shaped Boston Dynamics robots SpotMini. The robot went viral after it was filmed opening doors, and inspired the apocalyptic Black Mirror episode ‘Metalhead’, show creator Charlie Brooker told Entertainment Weekly.
“Taking my new dog for a walk at the #MARS2018 conference,” Bezos tweeted on Monday.
Taking my new dog for a walk at the #MARS2018 conference. #BostonDynamics pic.twitter.com/vE6CXrvV3o
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) March 19, 2018
SpotMini weighs roughly 55 pounds and is fueled by a rechargeable electric battery, according to Boston Dynamics’ website. It’s also “the quietest” robot the company has built, and is able to pick up and handle objects.
Amazon’s invite-only annual MARS conference began on Monday, and aims to explore machine learning, home automation, robotics, and space exploration. Bezos has also been spotted playing beer pong against a robot opponent, with videos of the game surfacing online.