Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot grows a set of hands, attempts construction work

Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, is learning a few new tricks. The company finally got Atlas the right hand, and in Boston Dynamics’ latest YouTube video, Atlas is about to do some real work. We also published another behind-the-scenes video showing some of Atlas’ work. And when things go wrong, we see a dizzying slam as robots strive to advance humanoid robotics.

As a humanoid robot, Atlas is primarily focused on locomotion, starting with lab walking, walking over any kind of unstable terrain imaginable, and doing some sick parkour tricks.However, the movement was all about the legs, with the upper half looking almost like an afterthought, and the arms just swinging around for balance. hand-The last time I saw it, there were only two incomplete ball grippers on the ends of the arms.

This latest iteration of the robot has a real gripper. They are simple clamp-style hands with a wrist and his one movable finger, but enough to lift things. The purpose of this video is to move an “inertially significant” object. Not only does it lift the lightbox, but it also moves objects that are too heavy and can throw the Atlas off balance. This includes a large plank, a bag full of tools, and a barbell with his two 10-pound weights. Atlas is learning all about the “equal and opposite forces” of the world.

As with all robotics, picking and transporting objects is more complicated than it sounds. Atlas must know where it is in the world in relation to the object it is picking up, plan to grab it, and pick up and manipulate the object. Meanwhile, calculate how this extra mass affects the balance. As Robin Deits, a software engineer at Boston Dynamics, explains in the video, “When you try to manipulate something like a plank, you have to figure out where the plank is and how fast it’s moving. , you’ll have to make an educated guess as to how it should move: move your arm to turn the plank 180 degrees very quickly, but if that estimate is wrong, it’s going to be ridiculous and you will fall over.”

Atlas doesn’t just clumsily pick up and carry things. Running, jumping, and spinning with heavy objects. jump at some point, throw Heavy toolbox up to construction partners without losing balance. Doing all this on rickety scaffolding and improvised plank walkways, the ground is constantly moving under Atlas’ feet with every step. Picking up things is the beginning of teaching the robot to do real work, perfect for working on a run-down construction site. A simple claw gripper is meant to smash anything Atlas picks up, while a plank-like object shows visible damage where the hand was dug. experiment, you’ll find that Atlas is not a gorilla in size.