Boston Dynamics' Robot Atlas Helps Workers Get Their Tools

In a new video, Atlas tosses a bag to a construction site worker.

Robots are getting closer to doing real work together with people as Boston Dynamics' latest video of the robot called Atlas showed. There, Atlas brings a bag of tools to a worker and tosses it to them after navigating a staged construction site. It even does a flip at the end to show off!

“We’re not just thinking about how to make the robot move dynamically through its environment, like we did in Parkour and Dance,” said Scott Kuindersma, Atlas team lead. “Now, we’re starting to put Atlas to work and think about how the robot should be able to perceive and manipulate objects in its environment while maintaining that characteristic high level of performance.”

The bipedal humanoid robot can do what people do and is supposed to be used in fields like manufacturing, factory work, and construction, where it fits best.

However impressive Atlas's abilities are, we are still a “long way off” from working alongside robots as roboticists have not yet created those that can safely do the dangerous tasks we do manually. 

“Manipulation is a broad category, and we still have a lot of work to do,” said Ben Stephens, Atlas controls lead. “But this gives a sneak peek at where the field is going. This is the future of robotics.” 

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Published 19 January 2023
Gloria Levine
Senior Editor