Google-Owned Boston Dynamics Improves Their Terrifying, Terminator-Like Robots

Google-owned Boston Dynamics released a video Tuesday of the latest version of Atlas – the humanoid robot that walks upright.

If a Boston Dynamics robot called Atlas sounds familiar, it’s because the collection of servo motors and advanced AI has been in development for some time, and its development into a wonder robot has been charted by Siliconrepublic.com for the last two years. 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.

The answer is in the video below, which shows the new Atlas walking about indoors and out in rough, snowy country. The robot also shows some very good form in lifting boxes and placing them on a shelf, before refusing to let itself get shoved over by a guy with a hockey stick. The tester even pushes the robot to make it fall on its face.

According to Boston Dynamics, the new Atlas is electrically powered and hydraulically actuated.

“It uses sensors in its body and legs to balance and LIDAR and stereo sensors in its head to avoid obstacles, assess the terrain, help with navigation and manipulate objects”.

Perhaps this is why Atlas’ creators so mercilessly mess with it later in the video.