Boston Dynamics, the company known for its viral videos showcasing the capabilities of its hydraulic robot model, Atlas, has introduced a new version of Atlas that is fully electric. This new Atlas has a brand new design, appearing slimmer and more human-like, complete with a round head that was absent in the old Atlas’ structure.
The new Atlas was introduced just a day after the retirement of the old Atlas. The video released by Boston Dynamics to introduce the new Atlas has been described as giving off “T-1000 from Terminator 2 vibes” as opposed to the quirky kids movie feel of the old Atlas. The video shows the new electric Atlas lying on a mat, then suddenly rising and inverting its legs, landing almost crab-style. Its head spins to face the camera while its torso and arms still face the wrong direction. The robot then starts walking towards the camera, its torso flips around to face forward, and the robot stops in front of the camera. Each section of the body begins to spin away from the camera and Atlas loudly marches off.
Boston Dynamics has announced that it is teaming up with Hyundai to roll out real-world commercial uses for Atlas. However, the video doesn’t show much in terms of real-world capability, so audiences will have to wait to see if the new Atlas will amaze them in the way the old one did. The company usually delivers, with each of its robot models proving to be better than the previous iteration. But, there’s no denying that Boston Dynamics has chosen a pretty creepy way to introduce the world to the new fully electric Atlas.
Read more at: mashable.com