Following the retirement of its jumping hydraulic Atlas robot, it seems Boston Dynamics isn’t quite done with its monstrous humanoid creations yet.
Right on cue, the robotics company has revealed a new entirely electric version of Atlas. While the original robot was designed for search-and-rescue purposes, the company says this new all-electric design has different real-world applications, calling the slightly terrifying device “the world’s most dynamic humanoid robot.”
In a brief video (check it out above), Boston Dynamics shows the new version of Atlas lying on its back, flipping its legs over in an odd way and then pushing itself into a standing position. The robot then turns its head and torso like a demon in a horror movie and walks away.
This movement is shockingly uncanny, but from a technical perspective, the new all-electric Atlas seems far more maneuverable than its hydraulic predecessor.
In a press release, Boston Dynamics says its parent company, Hyundai, says its next-gen manufacturing tech is the “perfect testing ground” for this new version of Atlas. The robotics maker emphasizes that the all-electric Atlas is stronger and that plans to build a new “gripper” variation of the robot “to meet a diverse set of expected manipulation needs in customer environments” and says that Atlas “will move in ways that exceed human capabilities.”
If you squint hard enough, the new Atlas almost looks cute in a this-thing-could-probably-kill-me kind of way.
When will we see the new Atlas operating in manufacturing facilities? It’s still unclear, but given the robotics company has been working on humanoid robots for years, if this technology does actually get implemented practically, Boston Dynamics will likely be the first to make it happen.
Image credit: Boston Dynamics
Source: Boston Dynamics Via: Engadget
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