New robotic dog at Telus Spark leading kids to science and technology

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It may not be furry, cute or cuddly, but Flint the robot dog is still inspiring the kind of interest and attention from kids that one would expect from any young pup.

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“Whenever I’m in the building, anytime I see a crowd from my office, I can usually identify exactly where the robot is,” said Brian Murray, production manager at the Telus Spark science centre.

Flint is a “Spot Explorer” model robot built by Boston Dynamics, the Massachusetts-based company famous for making robots in both human and dog form.

Murray said the purchase of Flint was made possible by an anonymous donation from a Calgary benefactor who “cares deeply about the possibilities in technology” and who wants to get underprivileged kids involved in coding and digital literacy.

Flint cost US$56,650 and arrived in Calgary this August. After some time behind the scenes, it is now making regular appearances around the Telus Spark building every day, which is currently open Wednesday through Sunday.

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Murray said they’ve built a small home and fenced-in yard where Flint lives. It often takes a break at lunch, but is otherwise walking throughout the building most days.

“All day, every day, it’s roaming around the science centre,” said Murray. “Basically wherever you are in the building, the robot can go.”

Flint can be controlled via remote control by its handlers, but it also has five onboard cameras and is capable of self-navigating to waypoints. It can walk up stairs or across uneven terrain.

It can also be programmed to dance elaborate routines to music with special software provided by Boston Dynamics.

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The science centre invited science communication ambassadors and actual dogs Bunsen and Beaker from Red Deer to meet Flint earlier this month.

Jason Zackowski is the voice of Bunsen and Beaker, and their account is one of the biggest science communication accounts on Twitter. He said the robot dog was a bit puzzling for the pooches — especially the younger dog Beaker.

“She kept trying to sniff its butt and get its attention,” said Zackowski. “She was trying to follow it and try to maybe play with it.”

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Zackowski, who is also a high school chemistry teacher, said Flint will no doubt help inspire kids on the incredible possibilities of technology and robotics.

“I can only imagine how excited kids are when they see it,” he said. “If you can engage kids, that’s when you can teach them and that’s when the learning happens.”

Murray said they have big plans for Flint in the coming months. Beyond just wandering around and meeting people, they hope to include the robot in programming workshops.

They also hope to eventually hack Flint to accomplish new tasks. The robot has cargo rails that will allow them to add on homemade accessories.

brthomas@postmedia.com

Twitter: @brodie_thomas