The robotics industry continues to shape the defense and commercial sectors. This dynamic field continues to push forward rapid advancements that not only enhance operational capabilities but also drive innovation across various industries. In a recent episode of the Full Crew podcast, robotics experts discussed three hot topics in robotics: the resolution of a high-profile patent lawsuit, battlefield drone innovations and the increasing use of autonomous vehicles and systems in the construction industry. This article explores these hot topics and their potential impacts on the future of robotics.
Resolving the Boston Dynamics vs. Ghost Robotics Patent Dispute
In a significant development for the robotics industry, Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics have settled their long-running patent infringement lawsuit. The dispute, which began in 2022, centered around the design and functionality of quadruped robots or “robot dogs.” The settlement, announced on undisclosed terms, marks the end of a closely watched legal battle in the robotics industry. While the specific details remain confidential, the resolution appears to be positive for both companies, with plans for future collaboration on policy initiatives.
Todd Basile, a partner at Greenberg Traurig and leader of their robotics and autonomous technologies industry group, provided insights into the case including the patents at issue, recent milestones that may have driven the settlement, and possible terms of the settlement, and where the companies may go from here.
“It got to the point where they had a Markman (a.k.a. claim construction) hearing…this is always a very key part of every patent infringement lawsuit and you often see a lot of lawsuits settle afterwards because [the courts rule on the meanings of disputed terms and phrases in the patent claims]. Shortly after that Boston Dynamics filed a Motion for Summary Judgement…you don’t really get many bites at the apple for an MSJ so when you see that after a Markman you have to think that the plaintiff thought they had a very strong hand [based on how the hearing went].”
Basile highlighted the potential implications of the companies’ future collaboration on policy initiatives: “They were pretty tight-lipped…but the thing that stood out to me was collaboration on supply chain initiatives…possible efforts to de-China, de-Russia your supply chains which is oftentimes very difficult because a lot of the components are made in those areas and the United States hasn’t been very competitive on a lot of that…I do think it will be interesting to see how they collaborate on that piece.”
One thing that collab will probably not be about: the use of lethal force on these robots. The companies have taken different approaches to weaponization. Ghost Robotic is OK with it; Boston Dynamics not so much. Perhaps the focus will be on advancing four-legged robots in general through a national robotics strategy. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, the lawsuit’s resolution underscores the importance of intellectual property (IP) in the rapidly evolving robotics sector. As companies continue to innovate, managing patent portfolios and navigating potential infringement issues will remain crucial challenges.
Fraser Kitchell, CEO of KEF Robotics, offered a perspective on the commercial implications: “I’ve been interested to watch Boston Dynamics as a market leader for 20 years now and do the truly amazing stuff with quadrupeds and humanoid robots… I’ve been a bit confused about how they plan to make money and whether they have a viable business model.”
Maybe this settlement signals a shift towards more collaborative approaches in the industry – like licensing IP to others. Basile opined: “When you do characterize a company as sort of a ‘lab’, as an IP lawyer I’m thinking they’re developing a lot of great tech, they’re patenting some of it, they’re building up the source code to actually implement a lot of it…for a company who does those sorts of things it might be a licensing play…in the robotics space you can mimic what a dog does, I can build that [sensing and control system], but actually having the number of…uses in the field, collecting all that data, building these giant datasets that really make it work seamlessly, that can be quite the barrier to entry and [thus] some folks may want to cut the line and instead in-license some of that expertise and technology and then build on that.” This approach could lead to faster innovation and commercialization of robotic technologies.
Now to transition from the boardroom to the battlefield…
Battlefield Innovations: Fiber Optic-Guided Drones in Ukraine
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has become an unexpected testing ground for robotics, particularly in drone technology. One of the most intriguing developments is the use of drones guided by fiber optic cables, a solution that addresses the challenges of electronic jamming and communication denial on the battlefield. This technology combines the mobility of drones with the reliability and security of a physical connection to a ground station.
The core component of this system is a lightweight, durable fiber optic cable that connects the drone to a ground control station.Kitchell explained the significance of this innovation. “This is not autonomy,” he said. “This is actually kind of pulling back from autonomy towards human-guided flight but on a tethered fiber optic cable. It’s low cost, it’s available now, and the product cycle has gone crazy where you can now get these kits out of China for a couple hundred bucks.”
While similar fiber optic cables for drones have been used for both power and data transmission, in this case, the cable is solely used for data transmission, to provide high-bandwidth video from the drone to the pilot and control inputs from the pilot to the drone. Kitchell specifically mentioned that “there’s no power going through this fiber optic cable, it’s just data being transferred.”
One downside from the use of this fiber optic tether is that it actually reduces the drone’s flight time. Kitchell noted: “This is additional mass that’s cutting your flight time by some amount. The trade-off is made for increased capability and mission effectiveness, particularly in environments where electronic jamming might disrupt traditional radio-controlled drones.
Kitchell further elaborated on the implications. “We’re trying to put more compute on an aircraft and hand off tasks to the software on the aircraft to get around the jamming and the communication denial, but I look at this with a little bit of envy and respect because it’s low cost, it’s available now.”
While primarily developed for military applications, this technology could have potential uses in civilian sectors, particularly in GPS-denied environments or underground operations. Sean Guerre, Managing Director of the Energy Drone & Robotics Coalition, suggested potential commercial applications: “…think about mining, I’m thinking about nuclear, anything that’s GPS denied, or closed… I could see where there would be possibilities where this technology might be used.”
This tech demonstrates how battlefield necessities can foster rapid technological advancements and lead to broader applications in various commercial industries. Which leads to our topic on a specific industry: construction.
The Rise of Automation in Construction
According to Guerre, the construction industry, traditionally slow to adopt new technologies, has experienced a significant shift towards automation and robotics, driven by labor shortages, increasing project complexity and demands for improved efficiency and safety.
Guerre highlighted the parallels between the construction and energy sectors. “We started to see more and more deployments happening in the construction area adjacent to the industrial… We started studying it and found that there were a lot of similarities between the construction market and the energy market.” Those key similarities included:
- Labor shortages: Both the construction and energy sectors are facing significant workforce challenges.
- Increasing project complexity: Projects in these industries are becoming more intricate, increasing the need for advanced technologies.
- Demand for improved efficiency: There’s pressure to complete projects faster and more cost-effectively.
- Safety concerns: Robotics can address safety issues by taking on dangerous or physically demanding tasks.
- Enhanced quality: The use of robotics can lead to improved quality in construction projects.
- Sustainability goals: Both industries are looking to robotics to help achieve greater sustainability.
- Cost savings: Robotics offer potential savings by optimizing processes and reducing labor costs.
- Data collection and analysis: Robots are valuable for gathering massive amounts of data that can be leveraged to improve future projects and operations.
The adoption of robotics in construction brings benefits across a wide range of applications, from surveying and mapping to demolition and renovation to 3D printing of structures. This shift to automation in construction has improved productivity, safety and project outcomes.
Basile piled on about the data-driven aspects of construction robotics. “I think a sometimes overlooked benefit of (robotics) is just the massive amounts of data that they can gather as they go out and do their job… and then leveraging that data to derive insights for future projects.”
As robotics technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even greater integration of automated systems in construction processes and in conflict zones – and related legal squabbles about the designs behind the robots.
Watch the Full Crew 2025 Robotics Session here:
Watch Previous Full Crew Podcasts here: https://autonomyglobal.co/podcast-category/tech-news
References:
Todd’s Article – https://www.therobotreport.com/boston-dynamics-resolves-patent-lawsuit-with-ghost-robotics/
Fraser’s Article – https://defence-blog.com/drones-guided-via-cables-change-battlefield-in-ukraine/
Sean’s Article – https://insideunmannedsystems.com/along-the-autonomy-road/
By: Dawn Zoldi