Boston Dynamics has released several videos demonstrating the constantly improved capabilities of its ATLAS humanoid robot over the years. We know the robot can do everything from hauling heavy goods to performing parkour-style backflips, but if the company truly wants to persuade us that ATLAS will one day be a valuable addition to the workforce, it will need to follow the same rules as its human coworkers.
Boston Dynamics posted two new videos of its humanoid robot in action on Twitter and YouTube today. Previous videos have shown how agile and balanced ATLAS can be on two feet, something the world hasn’t seen with humanoid robots outside of Hollywood trickery, but with no real-world applications. SPOT, Boston Dynamics’ robot dog, could at least open doors and throw cinder blocks with its arm attachment.
The company’s most recent ATLAS video shows how the robot could work alongside humans in a real-world setting, such as a construction site—albeit simulated in Boston Dynamics’ facilities. The robot can pick up and place a wooden plank to use as a makeshift bridge using the colour and depth-sensing cameras that ATLAS uses to see the world, as well as intelligent image processing of the world around it. It then transports a tool bag to a construction worker atop a scaffolding structure before performing a flamboyant acrobatic dismount back to the ground.
The videos effectively demonstrate ATLAS’ new skills, which include the ability to jump and spin while holding added weight—in this case, a wooden plank and tool bag—throw that heavy bag of tools during a spin jump, exert just enough power to topple a large wooden crate without disrupting its own balance, and a more complex multi-axis flip off an elevated surface. All impressive feats, and all very effective ways to get a construction site safety violation written up. Here are the issues we discovered:
We’re as excited as anyone to see what ATLAS can do in the real world, but learning to follow the rules (other than the three Asimov devised) is just as important as everything else ATLAS has learned thus far.