Achi news desk-
For many, the scene is a combination of mind-blowing and nightmarish: a humanoid robot, lying on the floor, before it swings its legs over its metallic body to stand at full height.
In a new video released by Boston Dynamics on Wednesday, the company – famous for its nightmare-fueled videos showcasing robots on obstacle courses and dancing, or robot dogs racing through a forest – unveiled its latest robot, called Atlas.
Atlas, which is “designed for real-world applications,” is the newest iteration of the company’s humanoid robots and is their first fully electric model. Before this model, an earlier version of Atlas was hydraulically powered.
In their social media post, Boston Dynamics apparently aimed for the announcement of Tesla’s own humanoid robots from 2021, when Elon Musk unveiled the product using an actor break dancing in a white morphsuit.
“We promise this is not a person in a body suit,” Boston Dynamics wrote on X.
“In the coming months and years, we’re excited to show what the world’s most dynamic humanoid robot can really do—in the lab, in the factory, and in our lives,” Boston Dynamics wrote in a blog post.
“The electric version of Atlas will be stronger, with a wider range of motion than any of our previous generations,” boasted the company.
Where the hydraulic Atlas could lift and move heavy or irregularly shaped objects, the all-electric Atlas will do the same but with “several new gripper variants to meet a diverse set of expected handling needs in customer environments.”
The new Atlas will also feature the latest AI and machine learning tools, including reinforcement learning and computer vision, which will mean Atlas learns from its own actions and rewards.
Hyundai, which owns Boston Dynamics, invested in the all-electric Atlas model and will test the applications of the robots in their automotive manufacturing plants.
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Boston Dynamics said the tests are expected to take place “over the next few years.”
This latest Atlas iteration is also more agile than its predecessor and “will move in ways that surpass human capabilities.”
However, the robot’s inhuman movement is exactly what has left some people unmoved by Atlas.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Atlas has won admiration for its impressive engineering feat while also becoming the subject of online mockery.
Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee referenced a meme and wrote Atlas “calling for an ambulance… but not for me.”
The hydraulic version of Atlas has been retired.
Boston Dynamics is one of the world’s leading robotics companies, with many of its models operating in real-world applications. The company’s robot dog, called Spike, has been used in dangerous inspections, monitoring construction sites and alongside police forces.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
