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BUSINESS Saturday 10 June 2017
A25

SoftBank buys robotics leader Boston Dynamics from Alphabet

By YURI KAGEYAMA Pepper has expressive arms
AP Business Writer but wheels for legs and
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese does little more than sing
internet, solar and tech- songs and answer basic
nology company SoftBank questions, and can’t do
Group Corp. is buying ro- any heavy lifting. Often it
botics pioneer Boston Dy- fails to understand even
namics from Alphabet Inc., simple speech and will
Google’s parent. keep asking you to repeat
Terms of the deal, an- sentences.
nounced Friday, including Speculation had been
when it might close, were growing recently that
not disclosed. Google might want to sell
Tokyo-based SoftBank, Boston Dynamics. Alpha-
which offers the chatty bet said it remains com-
childlike Pepper compan- mitted to robotics, such
ion robot, said the purchase as connecting human-like
underlines how robotics is a motor skills, including hand-
key part of its business. eye coordination, to ma-
Boston Dynamics makes chines so they can process
various robots, including images, speech, text and
Big Dog and Spot, which draw pictures.
are complex machines “Robotics as a field has
that walk and trot on four great potential, and we’re SoftBank Corp. CEO Masayoshi Son speaks with the company’s companion robot Pepper dur-
legs. Another is Atlas, which happy to see Boston Dy- ing a press conference in Maihama, near Tokyo. The Japanese internet, solar and technology
walks on two legs like a hu- namics and Schaft join the company is buying robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics from Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent, an-
man. Atlas has arms and SoftBank team to continue nounced Friday, June 9, 2017. SoftBank said the purchase underlines how robotics is a key part
of its business.
can open doors and lift contributing to the next (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
items. Some were designed generation of robotics,” it next stage of the Informa- applications that can help cute robots. Various com-
for military purposes. said. tion Revolution,” he said. make life easier, safer and panies, including automak-
Under Friday’s deal, Soft- SoftBank Chief Executive “I am thrilled to welcome more fulfilling,” Son said ers Toyota Motor Corp. and
Bank is also buying from Al- Masayoshi Son said robots them to the SoftBank fam- of Boston Dynamics and Honda Motor Co., have
phabet a company called will help solve problems ily and look forward to sup- Schaft. developed entertainment
Schaft that develops biped that have been beyond porting them as they con- Japan, with its longtime robots, designed to do
robots. Schaft’s roots are in human capabilities. tinue to advance the field culture of cartoons like “As- nothing more than keep
a research lab at the Uni- “Smart robotics are going
versity of Tokyo. to be a key driver of the of robotics and explore tro Boy,” has a soft spot for people company.q
Big Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer aims for ACA return

By TOM MURPHY ready said they are retreat-
AP Health Writer ing from this market, some
A prominent Blue Cross- after losing more than $100
Blue Shield insurer is aiming million.
to return to the Affordable The pullback has left some
Care Act’s health insur- counties in Missouri, Ohio
ance exchanges next year and Washington with no
in several states, including choices on the exchanges
big markets like Texas and next year if another insurer
Illinois. does not step in.
Health Care Service Corp. The government has been
says it also intends to sell giving insurers money to
coverage in Oklahoma, help customers with mod-
where it is the only insurer on est incomes cover out-of-
the exchange, as well as in pocket expenses like co-
New Mexico and Montana. payments and deductibles.
But a spokeswoman also But the future of those pay-
cautioned that the insurer ments, which are separate
won’t make any final deci- from the income-based tax
sions on exchange partici- credits that help people
pation until the fall. buy coverage, is in politi-
Companies still have a cou- cal limbo. President Donald
ple more months to sort out
their 2018 coverage plans. Trump has talked about po- In this November, 2014 photo, Blue Bridge Benefits LLC agents help a potential customer with Blue
Options are growing thin tentially stopping the pay- Cross Blue Shield at a kiosk promoting health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act,
for next year in many parts ments, and insurers want at Compare Foods in Winston-Salem, N.C. A prominent Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer is aiming
to return to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges next year in several states,
of the country on the ex- a guarantee that they will including big markets like Texas and Illinois.
changes, the only place last through next year. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
where people can buy Health Care Service Corp. tainty into their prices. percent increase in aver- about 9 percent if it had
insurance with help from and other insurers that are Blue Cross and Blue Shield age premiums next year. a guarantee that the gov-
income-based tax credits. planning to return say they of North Carolina recent- The company said that in- ernment would continue to
Several insurers have al- have to factor this uncer-
ly requested a nearly 23 crease would have been make those payments.q