Atlas, Boston Dynamics' bipedal robot, demonstrates tool bag handling at simulated construction site

Although Boston Dynamics' latest marketing videos suggest we're getting closer, it is unlikely that bipedal, bimanual robots are ready to work alongside humans.

Boston Dynamics, a company owned by Hyundai, has released a new video showcasing its prototype Atlas robot performing tasks in a simulated construction site. The video is part of the company's effort to communicate the expansion of their research on the Atlas robot. According to Scott Kuindersma, the team lead on Atlas, the focus has shifted from solely making the robot move dynamically to also thinking about how it can perceive and manipulate objects in its environment. This marks a change in messaging for the company, which has not previously emphasized the potential for its bipedal machines to be used in the workplace.

Currently, Boston Dynamics only sells two robots, the Stretch and Spot. The Stretch is a wheeled machine with a large arm used for moving boxes in warehouses, while the Spot is a quadruped robot primarily used for surveillance and inspection tasks.

Boston Dynamics, a company owned by Hyundai, has released a new video showcasing its prototype Atlas robot performing tasks in a simulated construction site. The video is part of the company's effort to communicate the expansion of their research on the Atlas robot and its potential applications in the workplace. However, the company has not announced a new product, and it’s not saying it’s going to start selling Atlas.

The use of such robots in the real-world is currently not common because their expensive and fragile nature makes them less cost-effective than human workers. However, advancements in hardware and software may change this dynamic in the future. It is still a long way off from bipedal robots that can reliably work alongside humans.

It is important to note that the videos released by Boston Dynamics are rigorously planned and structured, with falls and mistakes edited out. The company has not made predictions about when its bipedal robots might work in factories. For now, the videos are just something fun to watch.