Ready to feel bad for a pile of circuit boards?
Wait ’til about a minute and twenty seconds into this video.
That robot you see being pushed around is the latest generation of Atlas, the insanely advanced humanoid robot as built by the Google-owned Boston Dynamics.
(Don’t feel too bad, by the way: they’re hitting stuff out of Atlas’ hands and pushing him around to test its compensation systems. All that pushing and shoving only makes him stronger. He’s like the Karate Kid, except… you know, a computer.)
This is the first time we’ve seen this version of Atlas in action — and it’s leaps and bounds above the previous gen stuff. Whereas the previous build came at a bone-crushing 330 lbs, this one is right around 180 lbs — you still don’t want it falling on top of you, but it’s a bit closer to the weight of the average human. An average human made of metal instead of meat, but hey. He’s a few inches shorter at 5’9″ vs 6′, but crams a bevy of sensors (LIDAR, Stereo cameras, and more) into a body that no longer needs tethers for support or power.
Watch on in excitement (or fear, if AI stuff keeps you up at night) as Atlas picks up boxes, opens doors, and stomps around in loosely packed snow — something I, as a mostly able-bodied adult human, have fallen on my face doing plenty of times.
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Oh, and hockey stick guy: I’m pretty sure Atlas will remember your face forever
https://gfycat.com/CompassionateVengefulHind
