Atlas by Boston Dynamics joined Humanoid Press: an in-depth profile of its design, locomotion breakthroughs, and practical implications for robotics research and real-world tasks.

Editorial:

Boston Dynamics Atlas (Fully Electric Model): The Viral Superstar

The hydraulic Atlas created the gold standard for dynamic performance, capturing the world's attention with gravity-defying backflips and parkour. The recent retirement of that platform and the reveal of the fully electric Atlas marks a fundamental shift.

The electric version is stronger, boasts a wider range of motion beyond human capability, and is quieter and cleaner than its oil-driven predecessor. While still a research platform, its new hardware package—which retains its incredible ability to run, jump, and manipulate objects—is designed for next-level mobile manipulation using advanced sensors and an integrated large language model (LLM) for high-level task planning.

The Addictive Trend: Pure, adrenaline-fueled spectacle. Atlas is the extreme sports athlete of robotics. Every new demo is a jaw-dropping, viral moment that showcases the sheer physical potential of the humanoid form.

(Image: Boston Dynamics)