EKSO--The Kick in Google's Robots

From today's NY Post:

However what the article doesn't tell you is that EKSO, (1.79--down from 8) sold the hardware to Boston Dynamics.

Meet Google’s karate-kicking robot called ‘Ian’

By Post Staff Report

November 11, 2014 | 10:43am

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Google-owned Boston Dynamics is teaching its Atlas robot new tricks. "Ian" has learned the "crane" pose thanks to software created by Florida firm IHMC.Photo: YouTube/IMHC

Now this is Iron Man.

A new video shows “Ian,” a 330 pound, 6 foot 2 inch tall, karate-kicking robot created by Google-owned Boston Dynamics.

The hydraulic-powered Atlas model — built from aluminum, steel and titanium — demonstrates its impressive (at least, for a robot) agility and balance.

In the video, the robot is perched on a stack of cement blocks where it recreates the famous “crane stance” from the classic teen flick, “The Karate Kid.”

Ian can also carry a fire hose and drive a car, thanks to software written by the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Interaction, according to The Daily Mail.

Google, in its ongoing mission to push the technology envelope, has acquired several smaller firms that specialize in robotics, including Boston Dynamics.