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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFive Boston Dynamics Spot quadruped robots auditioned for America’s Got Talent with a synchronized routine to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” The act earned four yes votes and advanced—but one robot stopped performing partway through the routine.
Watch the official performance.
What happened during the audition?
The performance appeared in Season 20, Episode 3, “Auditions 3,” dated June 10, 2025. The five robots entered the stage and performed a tightly coordinated dance routine to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” During the routine, one unit stopped or shut down. The remaining four continued, and the judges ultimately gave the act four yes votes.
The act advanced to the next round. It was not described as a Golden Buzzer performance, and advancing should not be confused with winning the competition.
Some coverage repeated Simon Cowell’s humorous description of the robot as having “died.” Technically, the responsible description is that one robot stopped functioning or ceased performing. The available sources do not establish whether the cause was power, software, communications, balance, a protective stop, or a stage-related issue.
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For the episode date, NBC lists June 10, while a related clip listing displays June 9. That difference likely reflects platform publication timing or time-zone handling.
Which robots were dancing?
They were five Boston Dynamics Spot robots—four-legged commercial machines sometimes informally called robot dogs. They were not Atlas, Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot.
Spot is designed for industrial and professional work, including inspection, sensing, data capture, site exploration, monitoring, and autonomous operational workflows. Boston Dynamics lists a maximum speed of 1.6 meters per second, an average runtime of about 90 minutes depending on payload and conditions, a maximum slope of ±30 degrees, and a maximum step height of 300 millimeters. The listed net weight with battery is 33.8 kilograms, maximum payload is 14 kilograms, and the robot has an IP54 environmental rating with an operating temperature range of −20°C to 55°C.
Those specifications describe the product’s operating capabilities, not what the television routine demonstrated.
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Was the dance autonomous?
The video shows a coordinated robotic performance, but the sources do not disclose its exact control architecture. It is therefore not possible to say responsibly that the robots danced entirely autonomously or that a person manually controlled every movement.
The routine may have involved preprogrammed behaviors, live supervision, remote intervention, or a combination of methods. A rehearsed, repeatable dance is also different from unscripted decision-making in a factory, disaster zone, stairwell, or public space.
The performance demonstrates coordinated legged motion and careful preparation. It does not, by itself, prove general-purpose intelligence, real-time learning, or generative artificial intelligence.
Why does Boston Dynamics make robots dance?
Boston Dynamics has said that dancing makes its robots more approachable, counters fear influenced by science-fiction portrayals, introduces the public to Spot, and inspires interest in robotics. The company also points to Spot’s use in factories, power plants, bomb squads, and research environments.
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That is the company’s explanation for using entertainment demonstrations; it should not be treated as independent proof that dancing improves commercial adoption. A television appearance is primarily a public demonstration and awareness exercise, not a product launch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the shutdown reveals
The stopped robot did not necessarily make the demonstration meaningless. In some circumstances, a robot that stops safely is behaving as designed rather than suffering a catastrophic mechanical failure. But the available footage does not identify what happened, so no specific diagnosis is justified.
A synchronized routine creates extra demands: multiple machines must maintain timing and spacing, avoid collisions, respond to the same environment, and recover if one unit stops. A brightly lit stage with a rehearsed routine is also a far more controlled setting than an industrial site with dust, irregular surfaces, obstacles, weather, radio interference, or mission-critical equipment.
One visible failure is evidence of a failure during this demonstration—not proof that Spot systems are universally unreliable. The most accurate conclusion is that the performance showed both the sophistication and the practical fragility of complex legged-robot systems.
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Can consumers buy one?
Spot is not presented as a consumer pet or household entertainment robot. Boston Dynamics directs prospective customers to its sales team, and the reviewed product information does not provide a public consumer checkout price. A deployment may also involve payloads, software, integration, training, support, and maintenance.
Lower-cost quadrupeds such as the Unitree Go2 are publicly sold for hobbyist, educational, and developer use, but they are not like-for-like replacements for Spot’s enterprise ecosystem. Another enterprise option is ANYbotics’ ANYmal, which is positioned around industrial inspection and is sold through a demonstration and sales process.
Recreating the televised routine would require more than purchasing a robot: choreography, software, safety procedures, rehearsal space, and technical personnel would all be part of the challenge.
The bottom line
The America’s Got Talent act featured five Boston Dynamics Spot robots—not Atlas humanoids—dancing to Queen. One robot stopped during the routine, but the other four finished and the judges voted the act through. The clip is an impressive piece of choreography, while the shutdown is a useful reminder that a polished demonstration is not the same thing as fully autonomous, failure-proof robotics in the real world.
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