Boston Dynamics’ new Atlas humanoid robot pulls off backflip with cartwheel
ⓘ Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics’ new Atlas robot is slowly gaining the capabilities of its hydraulic-based predecessor named Atlas HD. In a new video, Boston Dynamics and the RAI Institute show Atlas performing a backflip coming out of a cartwheel, and the humanoid robot doesn’t take damage or lose its balance while doing so.
As is typical of Boston Dynamics, the company also shows how it got there. You can see the robot falling during the complex maneuver, but these falls are not much of a problem. The robot can usually catch itself during the stunts.
Teaching Atlas to run faster appears to be a bit more difficult, as the robot loses a few components after crashing onto its face or just runs into pallets. Nevertheless, the researchers got Atlas to walk with a more natural gait. Until now, the robot often looked awkward while walking rather slowly. For commercial use cases, this hasn’t mattered much thus far.
Atlas has now been launched in a modified version as an enterprise product. This version doesn’t look quite as elegant as the research version of Atlas, which has apparently reached the end of the line. The tests that are showcased in the video were supposedly “one final push to test the limits”.
I’ve been involved in the IT business for over 20 years, first as a Sysadmin (Mac & PC; 2000-2014) and then as a journalist (2005 onwards). I have attended many industry events, such as IDF, Displayweek, Computex, CES, and IFA, to cover subjects like mobile and local networks, Bluetooth standards, and developments in the mobile sector. Since 2017 I have also worked as an aviation journalist, which involves traveling around the world reporting about both planes and trains.
My fascination for technology goes back a long way to the Pentium II era. Modding, overclocking and treasuring computer hardware has since become an integral part of my life. As a student, I further developed a keen interest in mobile technologies that can make the stressful college life so much easier. After I fell in love with the creation of digital content while working in a marketing position, I now scour the web to bring you the most exciting topics in the world of tech. Outside the office, I’m particularly passionate about motorsports and mountain biking.
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