Jess Weatherbed reports via The Verge: alive! A day after announcing it would retire its Atlas hydraulic robot, Boston Dynamics has introduced a new all-electric version of its humanoid machine. The next generation of Atlas robots are designed to offer a much wider range of motion than their predecessors. Boston Dynamics hoped the new version would show that Atlas could maintain its humanoid form without restricting “the way a bipedal robot moves.” The new version has been redesigned with revolute joints, and the company claims it has a “unique ability to tackle boring, dirty and dangerous tasks.”
The teaser showcasing the new robot's capabilities is both theatrical and unsettling. The video begins with Atlas lying on the floor like a corpse, then quickly folds his legs back over his body and rises to an upright position in a manner worthy of some kind of Cronenberg body-horror film. Its curved, lighted head adds some Pixar lamp-like charm, but the way Atlas rotates on its hips and marches towards the camera actually feels quite uncomfortable. The design itself is also a bit more humane. Similar to bipedal robots like Tesla's Optimus, the new Atlas has longer limbs, a straighter back, and a unique “head” that can rotate as needed. There are no visible cables and its “face” has a built-in ring light. This is a significant improvement over the previous version and includes many new AI and machine learning tools from Boston Dynamics. […] Boston Dynamics said the new Atlas will be tested with a small number of customers “over the next few years,” starting with Hyundai.
