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Report: Google Wants to Sell Boston Dynamics Robot Unit

The Web giant may already have a few potential buyers, including Toyota Research Institute and Amazon.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Got a boat load of cash and a penchant for robots? We have some good news.

Word has it Google is looking to sell Boston Dynamics, the robotics company it acquired in 2013 that's responsible for those impressive (and terrifying) creations with names like BigDog, WildCat, and Atlas. Bloomberg on Thursday reported that executives at Google's new parent company Alphabet aren't convinced that Boston Dynamics can make a revenue-generating product in the near future and "have decided to put the unit up for sale."

The report notes that the company may already have a few potential buyers, including Toyota Research Institute and Amazon.

According to Bloomberg, Google's Replicant robot initiative, fueled by former Android Chief Andy Rubin who left the company in October 2014, has over the past year been "plagued by leadership changes, failures to collaborate between companies and an unsuccessful effort to recruit a new leader." Part of the issue, Bloomberg's source said, is that Boston Dynamics executives have been hesitant to work with Google's other robot engineers, and the unit has failed to develop money-making products.

Meanwhile, Google's PR team wasn't thrilled with Boston Dynamic's latest robot video, released in February, showing off the newest addition to its lineup of humanoid robots — a machine that could roam freely through the woods.

"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," Courtney Hohne, a director of communications at Google and the spokeswoman for Google X, reportedly wrote in an email provided to Bloomberg. Hohne asked her colleagues to "distance X from this video," adding "we're not going to comment on this video because there's really not a lot we can add, and we don't want to answer most of the Qs it triggers."

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Web giant in December announced it was folding Replicant into its advanced research group, Google X, but that apparently never happened; Google reportedly put it up for sale instead.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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