See Atlas The Robot Resurrected And Stronger Than Ever
Atlas the Robot, Boston Dynamic’s iconic humanoid machine, was retired earlier this week. However, that retirement was short-lived, with a new fully electric version of Atlas being revealed the very next day. This new electric version is more powerful and capable than the previous hydraulic version, which is what the company was actually retiring.
Boston Dynamics has been at the forefront of creating lifelike robots. The quadrupedal, dog-like Spot has become one of the most iconic real robots in the world due to the various videos the company has released showing its technology. Their humanoid model, Atlas the Robot, is also quite iconic as one of the most fully realized humanoid robots in existence.
One of Atlas the Robot’s key innovations is that it takes advantage of its human shape while overcoming the limits of the human body.
The return of Atlas the Robot was revealed with a video Boston Dynamics put up on YouTube showing off the new version of the iconic machine. The short video showed the robot getting off the ground with some peculiar movements, including rotating its head 180 degrees before doing the same with its torso. Despite being under a minute long and only showing Atlus getting up and turning around, it’s an impressive look at the robot’s new model.
The new version of the machine improves on the older hydraulic model in numerous ways. It isn’t just stronger than the previous Atlas the Robot; it’s also more maneuverable and adaptable to different tasks and unknown environments. Boston Dynamics focused on improving its adaptability.
The capabilities of the new, all-electric Atlas the Robot are undeniably impressive and could have a multitude of practical uses, but it’s also incredibly creepy.
One of Atlas the Robot’s key innovations is that it takes advantage of its human shape while overcoming the limits of the human body. Its bipedal, human-looking body allows it to move dynamically through the world in ways that robots on treads or tires simply can’t. But as the inhuman movements shown in the reveal video show, Atlas is also capable of doing things humans never could.
Previously, Atlas the Robot had impressive capabilities but was more aligned with human capabilities. One of the feats that helped make Atlas one of the most well-known robots was a video showing its ability to perform backflips. While a backflip is an impressive skill, humans regularly replicate that feat, while the new model’s ability to turn its head like an owl isn’t something humans can physically do.
The retirement announcement of the hydraulic Atlas the Robot was clearly a setup for Boston Dynamics to introduce the world to the new electric version of Atlas.
The capabilities of the new, all-electric Atlas the Robot are undeniably impressive and could have a multitude of practical uses, but it’s also incredibly creepy. The new model’s more human form, moving in inhuman ways, is unsettling. The movement is similar to the effects used in sci-fi horror movies like I-Robot and M3gan.
The retirement announcement of the hydraulic Atlas the Robot was clearly a setup for Boston Dynamics to introduce the world to the new electric version of Atlas. The ploy worked, with both the retirement and the video showing off Atlas’s return getting significant media coverage for the robotics company. Boston Dynamics may be at the forefront of robotics technology, but it’s the company’s media-savvy stunts like Atlas’s “death” and “resurrection” that have made it the face of the industry.
