Boston Dynamics unveils its most amazing humanoid robot yet – and I can’t stop watching
Boston Dynamics has everything but breathtaking robot videos with the dance and parkour videos of its hydraulically powered Atlas robot. Now the bar has been raised even higher and I’m scraping my jaw off the floor again after watching the short introductory video for the fully electric and completely redesigned Atlas robot.
The All New Atlas is Boston Dynamic’s first all-electric humanoid robot, and the robotics company claims it’s stronger and more agile than any previous iteration. What strikes me in the video, however, is the robot’s much more human body.
While the hydraulic-based Atlas always looked charmingly like a mix between a line-backer and a scaffolder, the new Atlas is much more in the vein of Tesla’s Optimus and Figure AI’s Figure 01, quickly returning the legendary robotics company to a pole position in the growing humanoid robotics race. What baffles here, however, is not just the robot’s appearance, but also the way the New Atlas moves.
The clip begins with the new Atlas, motionless and spread out on the floor. He lifts his two legs and rolls them back until they are in a position that no human who is not a contortionist can easily match. With both feet on the ground, the new Atlas stands up from the floor, but with its chest, head and legs facing away from the camera. First the head, which has a circular glass panel for a face, spins around, and then each leg rotates at the hip to face the camera as Atlas walks effortlessly forward. Finally, the torso rotates under the head until the entire New Atlas is facing the camera.
As Boston Dynamics notes in the release, “Atlas may resemble a human form factor, but we equip the robot to move in the most efficient way possible to complete a task, rather than being limited by a human range of motion .Atlas will move in ways beyond human capabilities.”
Giving Atlas superhuman abilities, including increased strength and the ability to move in ways we can’t, is all about efficiency. Humans are limited by their physiology in a way that robots don’t have to be. We joke about people ‘keeping their heads on a swivel’ to stay aware of their surroundings, but robots can literally do this.
Boston Dynamics continues to focus on two-pedal robots because it believes this is a useful form factor in building robots to work “in a world designed for humans.” It’s unclear whether the shift to all-electric portends a similar change for its popular SPOT robot (the one that looks a bit like a dog), which currently uses battery power and hydraulic actuators.
Just the beginning
Even though Atlas now looks more human, it is still a long way from commercial or consumer availability. According to Boston Dynamics, the first testbed will take place at corporate investor Hyundai. “In the coming months and years, we are eager to demonstrate what the world’s most dynamic humanoid robot can really do: in the lab, in the factory and in our lives,” the company said in the press release.
On the back end, the New Atlas will be powered by the company’s latest AI and machine learning, among other things. When it places robots in factories, Boston Dynamics ensures that the programming knows as much about the factory as possible so that the robots can work independently and safely.
The dawn of a New Atlas marks the demise of the beloved hydraulic-based robot. Boston Dynamics gave the original Atlas a sweet farewell with a video recounting its successes and countless blunders. Every time Atlas successfully completed a parkour routine, the vehicle would tip over, land on the ground and spectacularly burst a hydraulic line. The video is a funny and loving tribute to a robot that has captured the imagination of millions of viewers.
It’s a fitting way to close a chapter and launch this new one with the all-electric Atlas. Sure, we only saw 30 seconds of motion, but I’m sure we’ll soon see this more personable robot dancing with SPOT, jumping off ledges and clawing its way into our hearts.