Boston Dynamics’ Atlas prototype puts almost every other bipedal robot (but especially this one) to shame. Although it’s not currently available for purchase, the company’s bipedal R&D rig has been consistently impressing the internet for years with ever-improving feats of mobility, coordination, and even TikTok-style choreography. However, the company’s latest showcase may be its most stunning demo yet — until Boston Dynamics releases its next video, of course.
The short sequence requires a bit of staging, but Atlas’ new “hands” quickly demonstrate why the upgrade is a big advance for the robot. As TechCrunch notes, both of its claw-like appendages consist of one fixed and one moving finger designed for “heavy lifting tasks,” something that was quite on display during the minute-long demo. During this time, Atlas manages to pick up a 2×8 wooden beam and place it as a makeshift bridge between two blocks, pick up a tool bag, climb ladders, and cross gaps. He then throws his toolkit at a person above him before finishing with a “multi-axis 540-degree flip,” which Boston Dynamics explains “adds asymmetry to the robot’s movement, making it a much more difficult skill than the previous implementation parkour.”
[Related: Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot can shuffle across stage, ‘raise the roof’.]
Perhaps anticipating skepticism about the authenticity of Atlas’ new moves, Boston Dynamics has also released a much deeper behind-the-scenes look at all the work that went into designing and implementing its newest abilities.
Part of Atlas’ computing power lies in its camera system, which relies on both a visual camera and a depth camera that actually measures the time-of-flight of photons to estimate distances. The robot also uses something called predictive model control, which the developers liken to the human body’s ability to predict what it should do for upcoming tasks — such as getting the heart to speed up slightly before standing up from a sitting position.
[Related: Boston Dynamics starts a legal dog fight with competitor Ghost.]
“The robot does exactly the same thing,” explains one Boston Dynamics developer. “It’s thinking, ‘How hard do I have to push with my right foot so I don’t fall over in one second?’
Honestly, Atlas. Just warning everyone before you start picking up and throwing people like this tool bag.
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