The adventurous life of the hydraulic robot Atlas: Falls, dances, and somersaults

Recently, Boston Dynamics announced that they would be retiring their humanoid robot, Atlas, which was one of the first prototypes to revolutionize robotics with its somersaults, dances, and falls. The robot copied human movements and surprised many with its capabilities over the past 10 years. A recent YouTube video shows Atlas carrying out tasks, albeit with some difficulty and hits while running, jumping, and moving objects, showcasing the testing process and the work of engineers.

The development of Atlas started in 2009, with Boston Dynamics introducing their biped robot PETMAN in 2011 and the first version of Atlas in 2013. The success of Atlas led to a music video featuring humanoid, Spot, and Handle robots showcasing their dancing skills. Now, Atlas is getting replaced with an updated, electric version designed for real-world applications, featuring a more agile body and market strategy collaborations with clients such as Hyundai.

The new humanoid robot demonstrated in the video presentation maintains its human-like features but with improvements and agility. This partnership with Hyundai aims to enhance capabilities and apply robotics and virtuality to help individuals with conditions like cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, or congenital problems. This advancement in robotics shows the potential for technology to make a positive impact on people’s lives in various ways.