Does Nest reveal Google’s robotic ambitions?
Over the past year Google has been acquiring nearly a dozen technology hardware firms – of its 20 total acquisitions – firms that make everything from airborne wind turbines to robotic dogs.
While many of these companies are working on crazy projects that could take decades, if ever, to reach the market, they all point towards the same direction… robots.
Makani Power – Airborne wind turbines (23/05/13)
Flutter – Gesture recognition technology (02/10/13)
Schaft.inc – Humanoid robots (02/12/13)
Redwood Robotics – Robotic Arms (04/12/13)
Meka Robotics – Robots (05/12/13)
Holomni – Robotic wheels (06/12/13)
Bot & Dolly – Robotic cameras (07/12/13)
Autofuss – Design and production services (08/12/13)
Boston Dynamics – Robotics (10/12/13)
Nest – Home automation (13/01/14)
GoogleX – the cloak and dagger facility overseen by Google co-founder Sergey Brin – has been responsible for the majority of these acquisitions.
And while robotics and home automation certainly don’t seem to fit with Google’s advertising business model, if GoogleX’s past projects are any indication (Google Glass, driverless cars and its internet network of balloons) it’s certainly up to a new challenge.