Yesterday, Boston Dynamics bid farewell to the long-lasting Atlas humanoid robotic. Or, the hydraulically-powered model of Atlas, anyway—for those who learn between the traces of the video description (and even simply learn the precise traces of the video description), it was fairly clear that though hydraulicAtlas was retiring, it wasn’t the tip of the Atlas humanoid program at Boston Dynamics. In truth, Atlas is already again, and higher than ever.
At this time, Boston Dynamics is introducing a brand new model of Atlas that’s all-electric. It’s powered by batteries and electrical actuators, no extra messy hydraulics. It exceeds human efficiency by way of each energy and suppleness. And for the primary time, Boston Dynamics is asking this humanoid robotic a product. We’ll check out all the pieces that Boston Dynamics is saying right now, and have much more element in this Q&A with Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter.
Boston Dynamics’ new electrical humanoid has been concurrently one of many worst and finest saved secrets and techniques in robotics during the last yr or so. What I imply is that it appeared apparent, and even inevitable, that Boston Dynamics would take the experience in humanoids that it developed with Atlas and mix that with its expertise productizing a totally electrical system like Spot. However simply because one thing appears inevitable doesn’t imply it truly is inevitable, and Boston Dynamics has finished an admirable job of carrying on as regular whereas constructing a totally electrical humanoid from scratch. And right here it’s:
It’s all new, it’s all electrical, and a few of these actions make me barely uncomfortable (we’ll get into that in a bit). The weblog publish accompanying the video is sparse on technical element, however let’s undergo essentially the most attention-grabbing components:
A decade in the past, we had been one of many solely firms placing actual R&D effort into humanoid robots. Now the panorama within the robotics {industry} may be very totally different.
In 2010, we took a take a look at all of the humanoid robots then in existence. You could possibly, I suppose, argue that Honda was placing actual R&D effort into ASIMO again then, however yeah, just about all these different humanoid robots got here from analysis quite than {industry}. Now, it appears like we’re as much as our eyeballs in business humanoids, however over the previous couple of years, as startups have appeared out of nowhere with model new humanoid robots, Boston Dynamics (to most outward appearances) was simply keepin’ on with that R&D. At this time’s announcement actually adjustments that.
We’re assured in our plan to not simply create a powerful R&D undertaking, however to ship a invaluable answer. This journey will begin with Hyundai—along with investing in us, the Hyundai staff is constructing the following era of automotive manufacturing capabilities, and it’ll function an ideal testing floor for brand new Atlas purposes.
Boston Dynamics
This can be a vital benefit for Boston Dynamics—by Hyundai, they will basically be their very own first buyer for humanoid robots, providing a direct use case in a really pleasant transitional atmosphere. Tesla has an analogous benefit with Optimus, however Boston Dynamics additionally has expertise sourcing and promoting and supporting Spot, that are these business-y issues that appear like they’re not the laborious half till they prove to really be the laborious half.
Within the months and years forward, we’re excited to indicate what the world’s most dynamic humanoid robotic can actually do—within the lab, within the manufacturing unit, and in our lives.
World’s most dynamic humanoid, you say? Superior! Show it! On video! With outtakes!
The electrical model of Atlas shall be stronger, with a broader vary of movement than any of our earlier generations. For instance, our final era hydraulic Atlas (HD Atlas) may already carry and maneuver all kinds of heavy, irregular objects; we’re persevering with to construct on these present capabilities and are exploring a number of new gripper variations to satisfy a various set of anticipated manipulation wants in buyer environments.
Now we’re attending to the nice bits. It’s particularly notable right here that the electrical model of Atlas shall be “stronger” than the earlier hydraulic model, as a result of for a very long time hydraulics had been actually the one method to get the sort of explosively highly effective repetitive dynamic motions that enabled Atlas to do jumps and flips. And the swap away from hydraulics allows that further vary of movement now that there aren’t hoses and stuff to cope with.
It’s additionally fairly clear that the brand new Atlas is constructed to proceed the sort of work that hydraulic Atlas has been doing, manipulating large and heavy automotive components. That is in sharp distinction to most different humanoid robots that we’ve seen, which have primarily centered on transferring small objects or bins round in warehouse environments.
We’re not simply delivering industry-leading {hardware}. A few of our most enjoyable progress over the previous couple of years has been in software program. Along with our a long time of experience in simulation and mannequin predictive management, now we have geared up our robots with new AI and machine studying instruments, like reinforcement studying and laptop imaginative and prescient to make sure they will function and adapt effectively to advanced real-world conditions.
That is all par for the course now, nevertheless it’s additionally not notably significant with out extra data. “We’ll give our robots new capabilities by machine studying and AI” is what each humanoid robotics firm (and most different robotics firms) are saying, however I’m unsure that we’re there but, as a result of there’s an “okay however how?” that should occur first. I’m not saying that it gained’t occur, simply mentioning that till it does occur, it hasn’t occurred.
The humanoid type issue is a helpful design for robots working in a world designed for folks. Nonetheless, that type issue doesn’t restrict our imaginative and prescient of how a bipedal robotic can transfer, what instruments it must succeed, and the way it may help folks accomplish extra.
Agility Robotics has an analogous philosophy with Digit, which has a largely humanoid type issue to function in human environments but additionally makes use of a non-human leg design as a result of Agility believes that it really works higher. Atlas is a little more human-like with its general design, however there are some putting variations, together with each vary of movement and the top, each of which we’ll be speaking extra about.
We designed the electrical model of Atlas to be stronger, extra dexterous, and extra agile. Atlas might resemble a human type issue, however we’re equipping the robotic to maneuver in essentially the most environment friendly approach attainable to finish a process, quite than being constrained by a human vary of movement. Atlas will transfer in ways in which exceed human capabilities.
The introductory video with the brand new Atlas actually punches you within the face with this: Atlas is not constrained by human vary of movement and can leverage its further levels of freedom to function sooner and extra effectively, even for those who personally would possibly discover a few of these motions slightly bit unsettling.
Boston Dynamics
Combining a long time of sensible expertise with first ideas considering, we’re assured in our skill to ship a robotic uniquely able to tackling boring, soiled, and harmful duties in actual purposes.
As Marco Hutter identified, most business robots (humanoids included) are actually solely focusing on duties which might be boring, as a result of boring normally means repetitive, and robots are superb at repetitive. Soiled is a bit more difficult, and harmful is much more difficult than that. I respect that Boston Dynamics is focusing on these different classes of duties from the outset.
Commercialization takes nice engineering, nevertheless it additionally takes persistence, creativeness, and collaboration. Boston Dynamics has confirmed that we are able to ship the complete package deal with each industry-leading robotics and an entire ecosystem of software program, companies, and help to make robotics helpful in the actual world.
There’s much more to constructing a profitable robotics firm than constructing a profitable robotic. Arguably, constructing a profitable robotic just isn’t even the toughest half, long run. Having over 1500 Spot robots deployed with prospects provides them a well-established product infrastructure baseline to increase from with the brand new Atlas.
Taking a step again, let’s think about the place that Boston Dynamics is in with regards to the humanoid house proper now.
The brand new Atlas seems to be a fairly mature platform with specific business potential, nevertheless it’s not but clear if this specific model of Atlas is really commercially viable, by way of being manufacturable and supportable at scale—it’s Atlas 001, in any case. There’s seemingly an enormous quantity of labor that also must be finished, nevertheless it’s a course of that the corporate has already gone by with Spot. My guess is that Boston Dynamics has some catching as much as do with respect to different humanoid firms which might be already coming into pilot initiatives.
When it comes to capabilities, although the brand new Atlas {hardware} is new, it’s not like Boston Dynamics is ranging from scratch, since they’re already transferring expertise from hydraulic Atlas onto the brand new platform. However, we haven’t seen the brand new Atlas doing any sensible duties but, so it’s laborious to inform how far alongside that’s, and it could be untimely to imagine that hydraulic Atlas doing all types of wonderful issues in YouTube movies implies that electrical Atlas can do related issues safely and reliably in a product context. There’s a niche there, presumably an unlimited hole, and we’ll have to see extra from the brand new Atlas to know the place it’s at.
And clearly, there’s quite a lot of competitors in humanoids proper now, though I’d wish to assume that the potential for sensible humanoid robots to be helpful in society is critical sufficient that there shall be room for plenty of totally different approaches. Boston Dynamics was very early to humanoids basically, however they’re considerably late to this latest (and quite abrupt) humanoid commercialization push. This might not be an issue, particularly if Atlas is focusing on purposes the place its energy and suppleness units it other than different robots within the house, and if their depth of expertise deploying business robotic platforms helps them to scale shortly.
Boston Dynamics
An electrical Atlas might certainly have been inevitable, and it’s extremely thrilling to (lastly!) see Boston Dynamics take this subsequent step in direction of a business humanoid, which might ship on greater than a decade of ambition stretching again by the DARPA Robotics Problem to PETMAN. We’ve been promised extra manipulation footage quickly, and Boston Dynamics expects that Atlas shall be within the expertise demonstration part in Hyundai factories as early as subsequent yr.
We’ve much more questions, however now we have much more solutions, too: you’ll discover a Q&A with Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter proper right here.
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