Boston Dynamics Humanoid Robot Prepares for Automotive Duties

Boston Dynamics has released a video update for its humanoid robot Atlas, showing it picking and placing automotive struts, demonstrating its object recognition capabilities and dexterity.

The video shows the robot from an outside perspective, as well as through its vision system to demonstrate how it interprets and navigates its environment. 

“Our humanoid robot gets ready for real work combining strength, perception and mobility,” the team said.

Described by Boston Dynamics as the “world’s most dynamic humanoid robot,” Atlas previously showcased its athletic capabilities, assisting a worker around a controlled factory setup – picking and placing objects, climbing stairs and jumping over obstacles.

The update comes as the race to commercialize humanoid robots ramps up.

Just a few weeks ago, Figure Robotics signed a deal with BMW to deploy its general-purpose robots at the car manufacturer’s warehouses to automate “difficult, unsafe or tedious” tasks, while Elon Musk told investors in an earnings call that there's a "good chance" Tesla will start shipping some units of its humanoid robot Optimus next year. 

Meanwhile, Agility Robotics signed a deal with Amazon to have their humanoid designs tested in Amazon warehouses and Apptronik recently announced a collaboration with NASA to commercialize its humanoid design, Apollo.

Related:Boston Dynamics’ Atlas Robot Gains New Skills