Google seems pretty keen on robots as of late. The bigger question remain: Why?

The company announced on Friday that it has acquired Boston Dynamics. The name might not ring a bell, but we're certain that you've likely seen the fruits of its robotic labors at some point in your YouTube browsing.

If the name "BigDog," "Cheetah," "WildCat," or "Atlas" don't sound familiar, then perhaps a description might help: They're some of the super-agile, can-traverse-any-terrain, run-like-heck robot creations that typically feature four legs and an absurd amount of engineering prowess. And now, they belong to Google.

Speculation as to what Google might do with its new, four-legged friends — or, at least, the research behind them — is covering a lot of territory. The New York Times, which first reported the news, wrote that Google will likely use the technology to "build a new class of autonomous systems." Whether the robots will fetch your package or take care of your elderly grandmother (two examples the Times cited) remains to be seen.

Otherwise, we really have no idea just what Google might have in store, or how this robotics-themed acquisition could fit into Google's existing product lineup. What we do know, however, is that Google's been ramping up. This acquisition – for an undisclosed price, we note – is Google's eighth in the last half-year or so. And it's clear that the moves are part of a new robotics initiative at Google, led by former Android founder Andy Rubin, who confirmed the purchase on Twitter.

The future is looking awesome! http://t.co/iFA53b9qDC

— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) December 14, 2013

Whatever Rubin has in store, he recently described his efforts as a "moonshot." That said, he also wants to get Google robots – or Google-created robotic technology of some sort — into the market within a reasonable time frame. He doesn't want product development to lag for years; rather, he said he believes that he'll be able to deliver Google 'bots at some point over the next few years.

Interestingly, Boston Dynamics currently enjoys a $10.8 million contract with the Pentagon's Defense Aadvanced Research Projects Agency — to name one ongoing government contract. Google representatives said that the company intends to honor Boston Dynamics's existing contracts, though Google doesn't "plan to move toward becoming a military contractor on its own," the Times said.

For more, check out PCMag Live in the video below, which discusses Google's purchase.