The most recent version of Boston Dynamics' Atlas Robot, which has improved human-like movement and actions, has been unveiled. In a YouTube video, the robot company from Waltham, Massachusetts, demonstrated the capabilities of the humanoid robot with grippers. The complex actions that the robot is seen performing include grabbing and throwing an object, navigating difficult terrain while holding another object, and so on.
The Atlas Robot manufactured by Boston Dynamics is shown maneuvering through a challenging environment while walking on two legs, imitating human gait, in the video that was uploaded to the YouTube channel of the company. In addition, a toolkit is seen being held by the Atlas Robot as it spins around on a plank, carries it, and places it to create a bridge between two platforms for walking.
After that, the Atlas Robot can be seen crossing the platform bridge and handing the toolkit to the person on top of the scaffolding. Boston Dynamics is calling the executed maneuver an inverted 540-degree, multi-axis flip.
The Atlas Robot performs a theatrical backflip while still on the thin platform after successfully transferring the toolkit to the human on the ledge above.
The demonstration demonstrates how humanoid robots like the Atlas could potentially perform tasks that, when carried out by humans, present a danger to life and limb.
Boston Dynamics and IBM were recently seen working together to deploy autonomous inspection robot dogs at US National Grid sites. Spot, an IBM Research-developed robotic dog, is currently being used for routine inspections at electric and gas utility sites in Massachusetts and New York. The dogs are integrated with artificial intelligence (AI).
However, Boston Dynamics' imaginative foray into the application and use of robots in real-world contexts has not always been easy. When it sold Spot to local police departments, including the New York Police Department (NYPD), the company received criticism, and the NYPD ended the partnership.
