Two years ago, Boston Dynamics unveiled a new generation of its Atlas two-humanoid robot. The updated version received the ability to walk on uneven surfaces, jump on one leg and even get up on its own in the event of a fall. In addition, the robot learned to navigate in space, identify various objects and interact with them. Recently the car received another update and now its capabilities are even more impressive.
Experts from Boston Dynamics trained Atlas in a kind of parkour. Now the robot is able not only to run, but also to jump over obstacles on the move and even run to climb on a hill. The bot has acquired enough computing power to simultaneously use its arms, legs and body to balance its movements, as well as perform wide and high (40 centimeters) steps. The car uses computer vision for orientation and further movement.
In terms of prospects, such robots can one day be used in various emergency situations, for example, to rescue people from the rubble and transfer them to a safer place. At the same time, it seems that other areas of use will be found for the machine in the future. More than a year ago, the Japanese company Softbank bought Boston Dynamics from Alphabet and it seems that the latter has plans that go far beyond the release of another hit video for YouTube, as was the case with the previous owners.
