Boston Dynamics retired the old Atlas robot a few days ago, and today it presented its replacement. It has the same name, but it is much more agile and disturbing.
Old Atlas is dead. Long live the new Atlas! Boston Dynamics today presented its new humanoid robot, the most advanced he has ever created. It's also called Atlasbut it is quite different from the prototype.
Atlas is a humanoid robot, that is, with a human shape. But as Boston Dynamics itself explains in the Press release, his movements go beyond what a human being can do. You can see it in the opening video of the news. It's quite disturbing.
Atlas can stand up with an impossible movement, but also rotate the head and torso 360 degrees, independently. The objective is to be able to move around in a human environment, avoiding having to continually avoid objects and people.
Atlas, the humanoid robot with electric motors
Since Atlas can rotate the body, head or the joints of the arms and hands at angles impossible for a person, can turn or orient itself without having to move the legs. Or overcome obstacles with movements impossible for a human.
Unlike its predecessor, which was a prototype, Atlas is designed as a trading robot, although it will still take years to be on sale. Boston Dynamics is going to test it first in the factories and facilities of hyundaiowner of Boston Dynamics for a few years.
Boston Dynamics
The company has not explained what tasks the new Atlas can carry out, but assures that He is more agile and dexterous with his hands than his predecessor.
While the old Atlas was a hydraulic robot, the new uses electric motors to move its joints. This makes it quieter and more flexible.
With a design that reminds us of robots in some video games, on its head it has a large circle that lights up. But we still don't know what it is for.
Boston Dynamics assures that Atlas will be equipped with artificial intelligence to learn things as it practices. And surely, also to talk. But this presentation has only been a preview, and has not revealed technical characteristics.
Boston Dynamics' new Atlas robot wants to be the first humanoid robot to be commercially distributed, in real jobs, after Spot and Stretch. We'll see what he can do…
