Just over eight years ago, Boston Dynamics introduced the world to the robot Atlas, sparking a collective wave of astonishment. However, nearly a decade later, the humanoid, which had been mastering tasks ranging from walking like a toddler to executing impressive parkour moves, has retired.
Yet, rather than collectively exhaling in relief, the unveiling of the machine’s successor is prompting awe. The new Atlas is younger, smarter, and significantly more flexible, as showcased in the accompanying video, making it a rather intimidating sight.
Before bidding farewell to the old Atlas, its creators decided to have one last bit of fun, releasing a farewell video showcasing some of its memorable mishaps – including an unexpected hydraulic fluid release mistakenly interpreted as a fart. However, akin to humans, Atlas I learned from its missteps, gradually refining its balance recovery techniques and footwork over time.
The new Atlas operates entirely on electric power and boasts, in the words of its creators, “an advanced control system and state-of-the-art hardware” that endows it with remarkable power and balance, enabling demonstrations of advanced athleticism and agility.
The creators further elaborated, stating, “We use Atlas to explore the potential of the humanoid form factor, harnessing the robot’s entire body to move with grace, speed, and dexterity. Atlas exemplifies our endeavors to develop the next generation of robots possessing the mobility, perception, and intelligence requisite for integration into our daily lives.”
Throughout its evolution, Atlas has continually amazed audiences. From footage in November 2017 depicting the robot effortlessly leaping onto boxes and executing a backflip to videos released in May 2018 showcasing Atlas running on grass and hurdling over obstacles, the robot has consistently showcased its capabilities.
In October of the same year, Atlas impressed further by navigating around while jumping over obstacles. Then, nearly 12 months later, in September 2019, it truly wowed spectators with its adept parkour skills.
As a delightful Christmas surprise, Boston Dynamics treated viewers to a video featuring Atlas and its companions dancing to ‘Do You Love Me?’ In August 2021, another video highlighted a pair of Atlas robots executing a parkour run, with the blooper reel being a particular highlight of the presentation.
