Boston Dynamics has done just that through its recent spectacle of the Atlas robot. It is incredible news as Atlas became the first robotic worker to work solo and even carry out tasks that would normally require a human’s hand.
In the latest Boston Dynamics video, Atlas easily shuffles engine lids, interacts with mobile dolly configurations, and accomplishes multiple tasks one would expect around a typical factory environment. No apparent remote controls, no choreographed, no orchestrated movements; just free roaming Atlas pushing itself along with explicit cooperation from its human designers.
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The robot, which only several days ago was controlling through every move, is now suddenly decorated as the “Fully Autonomous Robot”. This means Atlas doesn’t need someone to feed it instructions on where to go or what to do – it works everything out on its own. The robot has a vision based ML model to let it see, learn and act depending on what is in its sight.
What is interesting is that in the video we can have a glimpse of what Atlas does as it performs its jobs. With a somewhat fish-eye view, it provides a wide-angle resulting in enhanced targets in its path while providing the differentiation between its trajectory and objects that it should interact with such as moving or picking up. One of these vision abilities is to make it a little like a human – see, grasp, and respond to the world around.
Real-World Ready: Made for Much More than a Performance
However, unlike any of those previous models, this Atlas is created with a purpose – or to work in, as it is stated, “real-world applications.” Boston Dynamics wanted people to know that Atlas is no longer just a fictional theme. It is developed for warehouse or factory or any other commercial working environment where activities can be slightly monotonous. And it does not require step by step directions. If handed a list of instructions such as “pick this up, and move that there”, Atlas is in action running, hopping from one place to another with an amazing monotonous agility.
Among those some changes in the latest of Atlas, it would be important to emphasize – it is fully electric now, and this means that it can move much more freely. I actually prefer the electric model because it’s smoother, less stiff, and the change in the mobility is quite significant – and thus bidding goodbye to those hydraulic systems makes Atlas a little less of the ‘clunky robot’ and little more of the ‘well-oiled machine.’ Well, maybe not oiled, but you get the point they were trying to make right? It means that it can flex, grasp, and navigate like something out of the movies 3000.
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After uploading the video to share with people, Boston Dynamics received comments. Some people commended the elasticity and autonomy of the robot and how it worked; others could not even think about it without a slight chill creeping up their spine. Admittedly, to see a humanoid robot squat, plant its feet behind its head and make itself ready for standing is quite like watching a straight horror from the future!
A Glimpse of the Future
Earlier this month at its annual AI tech conference, Tesla also presented a robot called Optimus intending to be capable to complete practical tasks that require both thinking and dexterity such as serving drinks and interacting with attendees. The distinction, however, was that Tesla’s Optimus was operated remotely by people while Atlas is all solo.
Lending his testimony, experts have maintained that it could be years before the likes of Atlas and Optimus could be seen in society performing tasks alongside humans. Atlas by Boston Dynamics is proving that yesterday’s science fiction of robots walking and operating independently today is real. In fact they are not just ‘thinking about the future’ – they are creating it through independent decision making power.
In Conclusion
Boston Dynamics has really pushed the bar up high with Atlas. This is not just a numeric control device; it’s as if you have a “robotic assistant” already waiting in the wings ready to take instruction and do all the work practically on its own. It is meant to work autonomously to address real-life tasks, switch from one task to the other seamlessly. Some may see it cool while others may feel creeped; but, there is no doubt that Atlas’s first appearance as an autonomous worker is a giant leap in the world of robotics.
