Boston Dynamics shows the new Atlas robot at work

Boston Dynamics shows its new Atlas at work. In a new YouTube video, the current version of the two-legged robot can be seen. The demo is nowhere near as spectacular as the parkour exercises of the old Atlas. Boston Dynamics moved away from the old research model with a line of accidents months ago and announced the new Atlas shortly afterwards.

It is now primarily intended to help Hyundai in car production and there is already a cooperation with the Toyota Research Institute. Suitable for use at Hyundai, the current demo is mainly about sorting parts back and forth. It can also crouch down to remove parts from the lower section of the shelf.

Another interesting aspect of the video is that Atlas, which, according to Boston Dynamics, is working autonomously in the demo shown, makes a mistake while sorting. In doing so, it "recoils" conspicuously and then starts again.

The movements also look very unusual at first glance. This is especially true for position changes. Due to the independence of the torso from the legs, Atlas does not necessarily have to turn like a human. It looks a little as if he moves as little as possible. A human, on the other hand, would rarely walk backwards to avoid turning. There is probably still further potential for optimizing the movement. Atlas is still slower than a human when it comes to movement - except for inventory assessment.

If you take a close look at the robot, you will also notice various scratches. Apparently, it has fallen several times in recent months. This would not be unusual, as such errors are part of the development process.

The demo itself is nothing new. HD Atlas has already been used to sort parts, although most people will be familiar with its stunt and dance performances, which showed how well the robot can balance.

On the way to commercialization, it will probably take on more tasks, just like the Stretch and Spot robots that are now in commercial use.