Boston Dynamics has released a new video showcasing the capabilities of its bipedal robot, Atlas. In the video, the robot prototype overcomes obstacles to deliver a bag of tools to a craftsman at a construction site. The video ends with a demonstration of the robot’s acrobatic abilities, which can flip in the air and land firmly.
The company also released an additional behind-the-scenes video with explanations from Atlas Group CEO Scott Quindersm. According to him, the video is intended to inform “about the expansion of the research we are conducting with Atlas.” It’s important that these videos are carefully planned and structured, and that slips and mistakes are edited out. But, as Quindersma points out, these are still significant changes for Atlas.
“We’re not just thinking about how to make the robot move dynamically in the environment like we did in Parkour and Dance,” Quindersma said. “Now we’re starting to make Atlas work and think about how a robot should be able to perceive and manipulate objects in its environment.”
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It should be noted that this is a significant change in the company’s communication. She had never previously emphasized how her two-legged machines could be used in the workplace. Boston Dynamics sells only two robots: Stretch and Spot. Stretch is a wheeled machine with a huge arm designed to move boxes in warehouses. Spot is a four-legged robot primarily used for surveillance and inspection tasks, acting as a remote camera or mapping tool with 3D scanners. But Kuindersma explains that a two-legged, two-handed robot can perform many kinds of tasks that other robots cannot.
“A humanoid robot will be well suited for applications such as manufacturing, factory work, construction. [места]where the humanoid form factor really fits very well, with its ambidextrous design, its ability to stand upright, move heavy objects, and work in places that have traditionally been reserved for human work.”
In a blog post, Atlas chief executive Ben Stevens added that we’re still a long way from bipedal robots that can reliably work alongside humans. There is still a lot of work ahead, but we can already get an idea of where the company is headed.
Source: The Verge
