Atlas, Boston Dynamics humanoid robotgained new features in its latest update. A video released by the company shows that it has now is now able to grab objects with his hands and throw them.. The demonstration focuses on performing a task as simple as picking up a suitcase and carrying it around in a fictional construction scenario.
Atlas can pick up items like a piece of wood or a bag of tools. The work of Boston Dynamics is remarkable considering that the person is on top of a scaffold. To achieve its goal, the robot installs a board as a bridge, climbs a staircase and puts down the suitcase. The demonstration ends with a bang when he perfectly performs a 540 degree inverted turn.
According to Ben Stephens, Atlas controls lead, the new movements represent a natural progression of their ongoing research.. » The parkour and dancing were interesting examples of extreme locomotion,” Stephens said, referring to the 2020 viral video. “We are now trying to leverage that research to do meaningful manipulations as well,” he said.
Boston Dynamics said the routine is different from what we’ve seen before and might be less flashy than the dances. What is certain is that picking up an object, carrying it and throwing it at a person is extremely complex.. Engineers say performing manipulation tasks requires a nuanced understanding of the environment.
Adding to the challenge of detecting and picking up the bag, Atlas must maintain his balance while carrying it to his target. The Boston Dynamics team is building on everything they’ve learned from previous demos to take it to the next level. ” For us it is important that the robot is able to perform these tasks with a certain human speed.“, says Stephens.
Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot might help humans in the future
Atlas’ latest demonstration makes us reflect on a future where robots work with and support humans. Although this scenario is still a long way from materializing, Boston Dynamics engineers are advancing step by step towards their goal, namely create a bot who can go anywhere and do anything.a.
We hope that if we can develop the fundamental technology that allows us to easily create and adapt such dynamic behaviors, in the future we can leverage it to quickly perform real, physically demanding tasks. Scott Kuindersma, Atlas Team Leader at Boston Dynamics
Unlike Spot the dog, Atlas is a Boston Dynamics research and development platform, so the humanoid robot is not for sale. Each of the videos in which he appeared represents a substantial technological advancement that can improve his other robots.
“Parkour forces us to understand the physical limits of the robot, and dancing forces us to think regarding the precision and dexterity of whole-body movement,” says Robin Deits, an engineer with the control team. ‘Atlas. “Now manipulation requires us to take that information and interpret it in a way that the hands do something specific,” he said.
Atlas a a gripper with a fixed finger and a movable finger on each handdesigned for lifting heavy objects. One of the most complex tasks is when the robot picks up the wooden plank to place it between the scaffolding and the crates. Boston Dynamics engineers mention that many variables come into playlike position and momentum during a 180 degree turn.
The last two moves also represent a breakthrough. First, when Atlas pushes the box and falls into it, he demanded that… the robot must apply the necessary force to pull it without losing its balance.. The 540-degree inverted turn is a more complex maneuver that took hours of tweaking and testing the code to keep it from getting tangled in its limbs.
Although the robots of the future are unlikely to perform pirouettes or dances in the workplace, Boston Dynamics uses them because they represent a fun connection to previous work.