Boston Dynamics’ anthropomorphic robot Atlas has shown remarkable progress in its skills. Previously, the robot showed itself to be a good athlete using push-ups. Now Atlas is “employed” as a storekeeper at a car plant. The video report demonstrates how the robot manages to deftly and quickly move engine parts between containers. Moreover, the manufacturer claims that Atlas operates completely autonomously, without “prescribed or remotely controlled movements.”
Image Source: Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics’ “full autonomy” comment is aimed at some other humanoid robot makers who have been caught trying to mislead the community. So, at the Tesla presentation, artificial intelligence actually controlled the Optimus robots, but in some cases they were helped by remote operators.
As with competitors like Figure, Tesla, and Apptronik, the two-legged robot’s first practical use was in a car factory, which isn’t surprising since the auto industry has been a leader in factory automation for decades. Two weeks ago, Hyundai-owned robotics company Boston Dynamics announced a partnership with the Toyota Research Institute.
According to Boston Dynamics, “the robot is capable of detecting and responding to changes in the environment (e.g., moving fixtures) and operational failures (e.g., misplacement of a lid, tripping, colliding with the environment) using a combination of vision, force, and proprioceptive sensors ” (Proprioception is the sense of the position of parts of one’s own body relative to each other and in space).
In addition to autonomously performing tasks, the video shows the impressive adaptive (and durable) actuators that allow the robot to pivot around its waist. This action minimizes unnecessary movements, saving precious seconds.