You can spend hours on Youtube looking at videos of robots awkwardly walking in labs on treadmills, but very few of them manage to look human. And that's what makes Boston Dynamics' latest robot such a game changer. The Google-owned robotics company has recently unveiled footage at the 11th Fab Lab Conference and Symposium of their Atlas humanoid walking robot and it's awesome, yet a little creepy. The videos show the robot walking on uneven terrain, keeping its balance as it's kicked, and even the robot running through an actual forest with relative ease. Even though it sounds like something out of a Terminator sequel, the footage is pretty amazing considering the fluid movements Atlas is making.
Because Atlas can walk on two legs, it leaves its upper limbs free to lift, carry, and manipulate the surrounding environment. The robot is even strong enough to use its hands and feet to climb and navigate through congested spaces. Atlas can also use tools designed for humans thanks to its sensate hands. Atlas' sensors include stereo cameras and a laser range finder.
Marc Railbert, founder of Boston Dynamics said “We're interested in getting this robot out into the world. Out in the world is just a totally different challenge than in the lab, you just can't predict what it will be like.”
While there's still a lot of work to go, Atlas is not fully wireless, the company hopes the robot will be able to help emergency service worked in search and rescue missions by operating equipment where humans couldn't survive in.
Previously, Boston Dynamics revealed its four-legged robot dubbed Big Dog, which can function in rough terrains. It's designed to walk, run, climb, and carry heavy loads. This bot looks a little menacing since it's about the size of a big dog at 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall, and 240 pounds. This is another impressive robot that runs at 4 miles per hour, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks in snow and water, and can carry up to 340 pounds.
Both of these robots are a huge step forward in the field and can definitely provide some great service, but I still wouldn't want to have them chase me through a forest. It also doesn't help that Atlas looks like something out of a horror video game. But no one said the robots had to be friendly looking.
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