The Atlas robot announced in 2013 was retired by Boston Dynamics, but a successor emerged the same week. The new Atlas is also a humanoid robot, but it brings notable advances over the first. The most striking thing is its all-electric architecture, against the hydraulic structure of its predecessor.
With you, the new Atlas!
According to Boston Dynamics, the new Atlas is stronger and has a greater range of motion compared to the previous version. In one of the demonstration videos, the robot appears lying on its stomach, but makes a turn with its legs that allows it to stand quickly.
The same video shows that the new Atlas can articulate the legs, neck and torso in 360 degrees, movements done so naturally that they would make the demon from The Exorcist jealous.
If the previous Atlas seemed to have no head, the new one does. But she’s anything but conventional. It is a circular structure with lights around it that, for some people, can cause a sense of mystery or even fear, after all, there is no face there to express emotions.
All-electric structure
Through the video, it is also possible to see that the new Atlas moves with more agility than the previous robot, although its actions continue… Robotic. The merit of this lies, in large part, in the so-called electrical architecture.
This is because the hydraulic structure requires components such as fluids, cylinders, and pistons to be combined to allow the robot to move around while also performing actions such as carrying heavy objects.
An all-electric structure, on the other hand, uses sets of motors for the same purposes. This approach allows for the use of lighter components, opens up a greater range of motion, and can generate less noise.
On the other hand, the electrical structure tends to be more complex to maintain and, perhaps, make the robot’s costs higher. Only time will tell how these aspects will be handled.
New Atlas journey begins at Hyundai
In addition to more agile and precise movements, the new Atlas will be able to manipulate objects with the most diverse weights and shapes. All this potential will be tested in the car manufacturing of Hyundai, which has owned Boston Dynamics since 2020.
The tests will be comprehensive because the company’s goal is not to create a robot that mimics humans, but a machine that overcomes our limitations of movement. Boston Dynamics doesn’t give a timeframe for achieving that goal, but admits that development and testing efforts could take years.
Predecessor robot was retired after 11 years
Boston Dynamics said goodbye to the previous Atlas this week, 11 years after its official announcement. The design of this version has been updated in recent years, but that hasn’t stopped the technologies employed in this robot from becoming outdated. In these circumstances, moving on to a new project is really the best solution.
However, the old Atlas leaves the scene carrying the virtue of having been one of Boston Dynamics’ most impressive creations.
