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atlas

Boston Dynamics has been thrilling and terrifying united states of america for years with its eerily lifelike robots. Peradventure the most fascinating is the Atlas humanoid robot, which was revamped in 2022 with impressive walking and balancing skills. As wild as information technology is to see a robot moving in such a realistic manner, Atlas hasn't done anything a pocket-size kid couldn't do… until now. In Boston Dynamics' latest demo, Atlas is showing off its incredible agility by pulling off a backflip.

Atlas (originally the Agile Anthropomorphic Robot) is a project supported by the Defense force Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). It's five feet nine inches alpine (175 cm) and weighs in at 180 pounds (82 kg). This version of the robot is more compact than the original from 2022, which was 6 feet tall and weighed well-nigh twice equally much. Making Atlas the size and shape of a human is an important aspect of the project. While something with 4 legs or tank treads could be faster and more stable, our world is based on the man body shape. Stairs, doors, vehicles, and everything else is designed for people. A robot shaped like a person tin can more easily integrate with the globe.

In the 2022 demo video, a Boston Dynamics engineer cruelly pushed and harassed Atlas. Information technology was all in the proper name of showing off how well the robot could maintain remainder in the confront of changing conditions. In the latest video, Atlas has improved those skills to get quite the ninja. First, it demonstrates how well it can jump by vaulting upwards and over some small blocks. Its dismount includes a full 180-degree spin move. Impressive, simply a human child could practice that. The backflip? Not so much.

To pull off the backflip, Atlas offset jumps up on summit of a sizable platform. That past itself is an impressive display of residual that some humans couldn't manage. Then, it jumps straight up and spins 180-degrees. Only when you recall, "No, it can't possibly…" Atlas leaps up and does a full backflip. It even sticks the landing and raises its arms in triumph. At that place are ii more than backflips at the end of the video. The first of these is actually more impressive in some ways. Atlas well-nigh falls after it lands, simply information technology manages to regain its residual. The other bonus backflip doesn't go as well—Atlas falls over after it lands also far forrad.

As usual, Boston Dynamics is coy with details. The title of the video, "What'southward new, Atlas?" seems to imply the robot has gotten upgrades to brand these acrobatic feats possible. Hopefully, we get some more information eventually, because knowledge volition exist power when the robot apocalypse begins.