Boston Dynamics is at it again, creating robots that are not only the bleeding edge of innovation but also the stuff of our nightmares. This time, they are upping the ante even further by showing off a bipedal humanoid instead of BigDog and Spot, the loveable four-legged “animals” that they so mercilessly tortured around their office campus.
Called Atlas, Boston Dynamic’s latest creation specializes in walking and keeping its balance much the way humans do, by shifting its weight to adjust to uneven footing or unexpected obstacles. It can walk across rocky ground, stay standing after hits by a wrecking ball, and even do a pretty good imitation of Stallone in Rocky. But now it’s taken its first steps out into the real world, and it appears to be able to handle the challenge with ease. Atlas’ legs are intended to traverse extreme topography and limbs that are meant to lift heavy-duty objects and “manipulate the environment” it finds itself in – even climb it. It is also equipped with two stereo cameras to act as eyes for whoever is piloting the robot, and a laser range finder to determine spatiality.
Now, for obvious reasons, the humanoid isn’t ready for fully autonomous operation and going all Terminator on us, thank god. It still requires a power tether. But this video of Atlas taking a hike in the forest (both on and off the beaten path), part of a presentation by Marc Raibert, the founder of Boston Dynamics, at the 11th Fab Lab conference and symposium, shows that they are eerily close to success.
This just goes to show how fast technology progresses in the 21st century. Just a few months ago at the DARPA Robotics Challenge ,Atlas and other robots had their abilities tested when they had to operate machines, open doors, and perform other tasks that humans can do easily. They failed hilariously, and the whole compilation of them toppling down like rickety scarecrows became a viral video of sorts.
Well, hide your snigger now, puny humans. Our robot overlords are coming.
