Boston Dynamics, the American engineering and robotics company, yesterday, announced the suspension of development of the hydraulically actuated robot Atlas after a decade of its creation. In less than 24 hours, the company announced its new humanoid : Electric Atlas. 

The New and Improved

With a face resembling a Pixar lamp, the new electric version of Atlas is stronger, more dextrous and agile. Atlas is designed to move with maximum efficiency to accomplish tasks, without being limited by human range of motion.

The upcoming electric iteration of Atlas comes with enhanced strength and a wider range of movement compared to its predecessors. The hydraulic Atlas demonstrated proficiency in lifting and navigating diverse heavy and irregular items. These capabilities are further refined to bring multiple new gripper designs to cater to various manipulation requirements anticipated in customer settings. 

“Atlas may resemble a human form factor, but we are equipping the robot to move in the most efficient way possible to complete a task, rather than being constrained by a human range of motion. Atlas will move in ways that exceed human capabilities,” the company said in its blog post. 

The humanoid robots are equipped with reinforcement learning and computer vision, among other AI programs, to ensure they can operate and adapt to complex real-world situations. 

Real-World Applications

The use-cases for Atlas primarily revolve around the automotive industry. Hyundai has invested in Atlas and will develop the next generation of automotive manufacturing capabilities, providing an ideal environment to test new Atlas applications. 

Boston Dynamics will look to showcase its potential in various settings including laboratories, factory floors and daily life. 

Interestingly, Figure 01, the humanoid robot from Figure AI is being tested on doing house chores including making coffee, and arranging the dishes. The robot can also converse with humans. While there is no information available regarding Atlas’s ability to talk or work, the era of humanoid robots has only just begun.