On the left, Ghost Robotics’ Vision 60 quadruped. On the right, Boston Dynamics’ Spot. | Sources: Ghost Robotics, Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics Inc. and Ghost Robotics Corp. have reached an agreement to resolve their patent litigation in U.S. District Court. The companies are keeping the specific terms of the settlement confidential.
Boston Dynamics kicked off the legal battle in 2022 when it sued Ghost Robotics for allegedly infringing on seven patents related to the former’s Spot quadruped robot. The company took issue with both Ghost Robotics’ Vision 60 and Sprint 40 legged robots.
“We are pleased to resolve this dispute on mutually advantageous terms,” stated Jason Fiorillo, chief legal officer at Boston Dynamics. “We look forward to collaborating on common ground issues where our two companies might collaborate in the future, to advance the state of robotics in the United States and around the world.”
In Ghost Robotics’ response to the lawsuit, the company said, “Ghost Robotics’ success has not gone unnoticed by Boston Dynamics. Rather than compete on a level playing field, the company chose to file an obstructive and baseless lawsuit on November 11th in an attempt to halt the newcomer’s progress. Boston Dynamics is drawing on their considerably larger resources to litigate instead of innovate.”
Founded in 1992, Boston Dynamics has been one of the earliest developers of legged robots. This includes both two-legged and four-legged versions. The Waltham, Mass.-based company started selling commercialized versions of its Spot quadruped in the U.S. 2019 and expanded access internationally in 2020.
Ghost Robotics, on the other hand, was founded in 2015. The Philadelphia-based company focuses exclusively on developing quadrupeds. According to the complaint, “Boston Dynamics’ early success with the Spot robot did not go unnoticed by competitors in the robotics industry, including Ghost Robotics.”
Boston Dynamics, Ghost Robotics find potential for alignment
With the conclusion of the lawsuit, the companies highlighted potential areas of overlapping interest in the future. These include policy engagement around a national robotics strategy and initiatives to encourage the responsible development and deployment of mobile robots and artificial intelligence.
“This resolution allows us to focus on driving innovation in robotics,” said Gavin Kenneally, co-founder and CEO of Ghost Robotics. “This agreement underscores our shared commitment to advancing the progress of legged robots while fostering new opportunities for collaboration on key policy and technological initiatives.”
Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics noted that, collectively, they have sold thousands of robots to commercial, governmental, and public safety customers in the U.S. and its allies abroad.
A stronger policy direction is needed on a range of industry issues, the companies said. These include making firm commitments to use robotics in governmental applications, addressing supply chain shortages for critical components, establishing safety and ethics standards to prevent misuse of these emerging technologies, and spurring additional investment for U.S.-led research, development, and manufacturing.
“Currently, the United States has no national robotics strategy,” said Fiorillo. “Countries like China are heavily investing in robotics and AI, and setting aggressive technology acceleration goals at a national level. Without more direct interest and engagement from policymakers, the U.S. risks falling behind.”
Representatives from Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics plan to meet in early 2025 to discuss further policy proposals that could benefit both companies and the industry at large.
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