Boston Dynamics introduces Spot the robot dog

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Meet Spot the robot dog. Now watch a man kick it really hard.

Google-owned Boston Dynamics, maker of thegalloping "Wildcat" and the ultra-high-jumping Sandflea, introduced the latest robot animal in its menagerie with a YouTube video posted this week.

In the video, Spot,afour-legged robot about the size of a St. Bernard, gets kicked by a man as it trots down the hallway of a building and barely breaks its stride. Shortly after, it withstandsa much bigger kick in a parking lot, causing it to slip on the asphalt and back away as it regains its footing.

In an uncannily canine motion, it almost looks as ifit's cringing from the blow.

But the 73-kilogram robot doesn't fall down and appears no worse for wear in subsequent scenes.

"No robots were harmed in the making of this video," Boston Dynamics assures us at the end of the video.

Laterscenes show therobotloping through the woods, jogging alongside a human runner, and climbing up and down hills. As the robot moves, the electrically powered, hydraulic actuators that move its legs make a constant squealing whirring noise.

According to Boston Dynamics, the robot's sensor head helps it navigate and negotiate rough terrain. The head,which looks more like a hump on its shoulder, features a spinning cylinder with a spot on it.

Boston Dynamics didn't say what the robot was for, but it is similar to aheavier four-legged robot called LS3designed for military use. LS3is designed to accompany soldiers onfoot through roughterrain andhelpcarry their load up to 180 kilograms (400 pounds) of gear per robot.

Google bought Boston Dynamics, a maker of futuristic, military-grade robots, in December 2013.