We saw it avoiding obstacles, taking hits, and other kinds of mistreatment, but one thing is certain: the adventure of Atlas is far from over. Time will tell if the awakening of Skynet comes with an army of muscular Austrians, or thousands of copies based on the famous Boston Dynamics development. However, now the robot has been seen improving its balance, with its whole body balanced on a single foot.
History tells us that Atlas took its first steps in mid-2013, when it was presented as a kind of "heir" to the PETMAN robot. A few months later it was seen navigating some obstacles, while the latest generation, revealed to the public last February, can now move without an umbilical cord and withstands very significant blows. What is it doing now? Maintaining balance on one foot, supported on a piece of wood that is no more than two centimeters thick. We are all invited to do the same, and not end up with a broken ankle in the process.
The Boston Dynamics Atlas performed this test in one of the IMHC (Institute for Human & Machine Cognition) laboratories located in Florida. Despite the robot's apparent success during the 28 seconds the video lasts, experts admit the test is actually a work in progress. In other words, the robot falls much faster than they show in the short. It's a little over eighty kilograms that three years earlier barely learned to walk, and now they "play" on a wooden board. What's next on its list?
Maybe that question has a valid answer through another company. As we well know, Alphabet is looking for a buyer for Boston Dynamics, since it decided to put the thumbs down on all its robotics projects, and the number one candidate would be Toyota, a company that also knows a thing or two about robotics. Under the guidance of this Japanese giant, Atlas could have a wide range of applications, from heavy construction to the care and assistance of the elderly. We'll stay tuned for any news.
