Google confirmed to the New York Times on Friday (December 14) that it had completed the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Boston Dynamics has gained an international reputation for machines that walk with an uncanny sense of balance, run at cheetah-like speeds faster than the fastest humans and jump 30 feet (9.14 meters).

Boston Dynamics, which is based in Waltham, Massachusetts, was purchased by Google for an undisclosed amount. It becomes the eighth robotics company acquired by Google in the past six months.

Boston Dynamics robots have gained popularity on Youtube, which has showcased the speed and agility of its high-tech creations.

Google plans to honour Boston Dynamics' existing military contracts. The New York Times reported Google did not plan on continuing in the military contracting industry.

Presented by Adam Justice

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