18 April 2024 , 18:09
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Just over eight years ago a robot Atlas was introduced to the world by Boston Dynamics and we collectively freaked out.
But nearly decade later, the humanoid that has been learning to do everything from walking like a toddler to some pretty impressive parkour has retired.
However, rather than breathing a collective sigh of relief, you need to see the machine’s replacement.
The new Atlas is younger, smarter and way more flexible, as the video above shows, and it’s pretty terrifying.
But before the old Atlas was consigned to a storage unit (or more likely a museum), its creators have had one last bit of fun, releasing a farewell video that shows some of its best/worst stumbles – including a fart that turned out to be hydraulic fluid.
But like humans, Atlas I learned from its mistakes. Over time, it dealt with tumbles by waving its arms to regain balance or did some fancy footwork to remain upright.
The new Atlas is fully electric and, in the words of his creators has ‘an advanced control system and state-of-the-art hardware [that] give the robot the power and balance to demonstrate advanced athletics and agility’.
They added: ‘We use Atlas to explore the potential of the humanoid form factor, leveraging the robot’s whole body to move with grace, speed, and dexterity.
‘Atlas demonstrates our efforts to develop the next generation of robots with the mobility, perception, and intelligence needed to be commonplace in our lives.’