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Watch Boston Dynamics' Robot Dog Open a Door

The company posted a new video showing its SpotMini opening a door with the help of a mechanical claw.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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Doors won't stop this bot. On Monday, Boston Dynamics showed off the latest evolution of its upcoming robot dog, the SpotMini, which can actually open doors.

The base version of the SpotMini is a four-legged bot that trots around like a canine. But in a new YouTube clip, Boston Dynamics also demonstrated that the robot can be upgraded with a mechanical arm.

The arm itself rests on top of the SpotMini, and functions more like a pincer claw. In the 45-second clip, the robot manages to approach a door, grab the handle, and successfully turn it.

However, the bot doesn't swing the door wide open at first. The SpotMini actually places a robot leg in the doorway to keep it partly open. That same mechanical arm then reaches behind the door, before pulling it all the way back.

Making the video even more amusing is why the robot is opening the door. The bot is actually doing so to help another SpotMini —built with no arm— pass through. The robot holds the door open, letting its sibling enter first, before trotting through the doorway itself.

Boston Dynamics Robot SpotMini 2

Unfortunately, the short video doesn't mention anything else, like when the SpotMini will be available. For now, Boston Dynamics has only been teasing out details to the robot, which it says will operate in offices, homes and outdoor settings.

The SpotMini model is designed to be battery-powered and has a starting weight at 55 pounds. (The arm-equipped version adds another 11 pounds.) Boston Dynamics says the bot can run for about 90 minutes on one charge.

The company's earlier preview of the upcoming bot showed that it now comes fitted in a yellow casing. Earlier prototypes of the SpotMini also sported a robot arm that could place a glass cup in a dishwater, dump trash in wastebin, and fetch a soda can for a human like a dog might.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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