Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, with Atlas. (Boston Globe by way of Getty Pictures)
Now that humanoids are all the trend within the robotics trade, Boston Dynamics on Tuesday formally retired theirs. The Hyundai-owned agency has at all times marched to the beat of its personal drummer. Even so, it’s an odd choice as funding pours into the class by the a whole lot of hundreds of thousands.
Venturing an informed guess, I’d say that at the moment’s Atlas retirement is much less about endings than new beginnings. Most definitely, the hulking humanoid is gracefully stepping out of the best way of no matter is coming subsequent for the agency.
Boston Dynamics has been centered on commercializing applied sciences for quite a lot of years now. Hyundai’s 2021 acquisition of the agency, coupled with the appointment of Rob Playter as its second-ever CEO, has additional accelerated that path. Given the super curiosity round firms like Agility, Determine, 1X and Apptronik, it stands to purpose that — on the very least — the Waltham, Massachusetts-based firm has — on the very least — severely explored the business humanoid class.
Boston Dynamics was, after all, nicely forward of the present humanoid robotics curve. Final July marked the tenth anniversary of the bipedal robotic’s debut. The corporate teamed with DARPA for Atlas’ early improvement, main the robotic to be closely included into challenges of the period.
“At the time of its debut, Atlas was one of the most advanced humanoid robots ever built,” DARPA notes, “but it was essentially a physical shell for the software brains and nerves that the teams developed.”
Then-DARPA program supervisor Gill Pratt in contrast the robotic to a human toddler. “A one-year-old child can barely walk, a one-year-old child falls down a lot,” he stated. “As you see these machines and you compare them to science fiction, just keep in mind that this is where we are right now.”
Atlas has taken many strides within the intervening decade, after all, because the bipedal robotic continues to issue into Boston Dynamics’ analysis and promotional materials. In the present day, nonetheless, marks the tip of the highway for the robotic. Whereas most of the system’s advances in locomotion nonetheless impress, sure features, like its hydraulics, are antiquated by modern robotics requirements.
One other wrinkle in at the moment’s information is that, as of February, Boston Dynamics was nonetheless showcasing Atlas’ capabilities. The truth is, the corporate gave the impression to be teasing at commercializing the venture with the discharge of a video referred to as “Atlas Struts” (not Atlas Shrugs, thoughts).
The video’s official caption reads, “Can’t trip Atlas up! Our humanoid robot gets ready for real work combining strength, perception, and mobility.” The video, in the meantime, showcased some cool augmented actuality notion methods and a brand new grasper that appeared particularly designed for work on the manufacturing facility ground. Given Hyundai’s possession of the agency, it’s simple to think about some eventual Atlas descendant serving to to construct future vehicles.
Meantime, in lieu of a gold watch, Boston Dynamics is providing up a video that includes a few of Atlas’ biggest hits and most spectacular falls. It is one ultimate blooper reel that demonstrates simply how a lot work goes into these completely choreographed movies.
