Boston Dynamics teases new sleek headless robot dog SpotMini that walks with a creepy lifelikeness

Robot maker Boston Dynamics released a new video on Monday (13 November) teasing a new, sleeker version of its robot dog SpotMini that can walk with a striking yet creepy lifelikeness. The firm, which was recently sold by Google's parent company Alphabet to Japanese telecom giant SoftBank, has not released any details of its latest creation but simply teased its unveiling is "coming soon".

SpotMini, which was first unveiled in June 2016, is a four-legged, all-electric bot weighing between 25 and 30kg. The company describes it as a "nimble robot that handles objects, climbs stairs and will operate in offices, homes and outdoors".

The new slimmer and streamlined version of SpotMini in the 24-second video is seen effortlessly trotting on the grass before pausing to stare directly at the viewer. The headless dog-bot then quickly makes its way around a corner and behind a wall.

Covered in yellow plastic with a 3D vision camera system on the exterior, the new SpotMini's movements appear to be more fluid than its predecessor.

Boston Dynamics has yet to release any specific details about its new agile creation including the date of its official unveiling or whether it will be released as a retail product any time soon.

The company's earlier SpotMini was last seen on stage in August with a humanoid robot named Atlas that took a hilarious tumble off the stage during a demo.

Over the past few years, footage of Boston Dynamics' various innovative yet terrifying creations have made waves on social media.

One commenter on YouTube has already dubbed the company's new upgraded SpotMini the "sharpest Skynet pet yet."

At the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October, Boston Dynamics founder and CEO Marc Raibert said he believes robotics "will be bigger than the internet".

"The Internet lets every person reach out and touch all the information in the world. But robotics lets you reach out and touch and manipulate all the stuff in the world — and so it is not just restricted to information, it is everything," Raibert said, CNBC reports. "When we have robots that can do what people and animals do, they will be incredibly useful.

"I think one of the most important applications will be taking care of people. They will help you take care of your parents, so that you don't have to spend so much time doing that."