Boston Dynamics showed off the capabilities of its electric Atlas humanoid in a new video. In the video, Atlas does eight pushups as a quick “warm-up” before work. The company has previously shown the hydraulic version of Atlas performing several stunts, including backflips, dances, parkour, and taking tools through a mock construction site. The company’s construction site demo earned it a 2024 RBR50 Innovation Award.
This is the second video Boston Dynamics has shared of the new Atlas. It certainly highlights the robot’s athletic intelligence, especially seeing Atlas go from standing upright and transitioning into pushup position with remarkable ease. It also likely shows the power of the new electric actuators. Boston Dynamics has said the new electric Atlas will be stronger and have a broader range of motion than the previous hydraulic version. Atlas has swapped out its typical three-finger grippers for a ball-like end effector, likely making it easier for Atlas to balance on its arms and feet.
The robot debuted in April after the older version of Atlas was retired after 15 years of development. While Boston Dynamics had been developing humanoids longer than any other company, its hydraulic Atlas was never intended to be a commercial product. Atlas was a research platform and an opportunity for Boston Dynamics to see how far it could push the capabilities of legged robots. The robot had limitations that prevented it from seeing commercial pilots, in terms of range of motion, size, and power usage.
In the past few years, however, we’ve seen humanoid developers launch commercial versions of their robots. Agility Robotics’ Digit has led the pack, securing its first paying customer in June. The company signed a multi-year deal with GXO, the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, to deploy its Digit humanoids in various logistics operations. GXO is also testing Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid, which was also tested by Mercedes-Benz.
Amazon has tested Digit for tote-recycling tasks, but it’s unclear where that partnership stands. Agility plans to release the next generation of Digit this fall. The robot will have an increased lifting capacity and a longer battery life, the company said.
Another leader in the field is Figure AI, whose Figure 02 humanoid recently finished its two-week pilot at a BMW Group plant in Spartanburg, S.C. During the pilot, Figure 02 successfully fitted sheet metal parts into precise fittings that were then assembled as part of a car chassis, a highly dexterous process.
With all of the momentum behind humanoids, it was only a matter of time before Boston Dynamics updated Atlas for commercial use. The company learned numerous lessons from commercializing Spot and Stretch, including improving control policies, upgrading actuation, and minimizing joint complexity. It put all of this expertise into its new product.
Boston Dynamics plans to begin testing the all-electric version of Atlas with parent company Hyundai and select partners next year, the company said.
In 2017, researchers from the University of Tokyo built a humanoid called “Kengoro” that performed situps, pushups, and pullups. The robot was made up of 116 actuators and a special porous aluminum. This material, and the water that circulated through its frame, allowed the robot to “sweat” as it performed tasks. The aluminum also gave Kengoro a more steady frame.
The sweating was heated water escaping as vapor through the aluminum. This feature allowed the robot to release heat from its motors as it moved, ensuring it didn’t overheat. While Kengoro wasn’t as rigid as its Boston Dynamics counterpart at the time, it was still strong enough to lift its body weight, and had a flexible spine, allowing it to perform the sit-up and push-up motions.
While the researchers were showing off their robot’s ability to keep its cool, Boston Dynamics likely had a different goal in mind.
Editor’s Note: The Robot Report reached out to Boston Dynamics for comment on the video. If we learn more, we’ll update this story.
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