Boston Dynamics: New Atlas no longer leaks hydraulic fluid and will improve Hyundai's car production

Just one day after bidding farewell to HD Atlas with a video of interesting accidents, Boston Dynamics has already introduced its "All New Atlas" successor on its own YouTube channel. The next generation of the humanoid robot is a completely electrically designed robot that Boston Dynamics plans to develop for real-world applications.

The new Atlas thus does not use hydraulic fluid, which caused some spectacular accidents with the previous model. This should make the robot more robust against accidents. Another interesting feature is how it stands up. Boston Dynamics simply leaves the robot on the ground. With a few strange-looking contortions, the robot manages to stand up and does so surprisingly quickly. Unlike its predecessor, the torso and the head can rotate freely above and independent of the legs. 

The new Atlas is very much the result of the experience and the mistakes of the past decades, as Boston Dynamics states. The company goes into further details in a blog entry.

This time, the research project will become a commercial project for application not only in the laboratory, but also in factories and in everyday life. Here, Boston Dynamics refers to the successful commercialization of its two robots, Spot and Stretch. Spot in particular is already widespread with 1,500 practical applications.

South Korean conglomerate Hyundai, which has owned Boston Dynamics for some time, will help with this. Vehicle production is set to become the ideal testing ground for the new Atlas.

In the blog entry, Boston Dynamics shows the direction in which development is heading in another video. The old hydraulic Atlas can already carry out some of the work that the new Atlas will later take over. 

The new Atlas is stronger than its predecessor and capable of more movements, as the first video already indicates.

However, the project will also take years before progress can be seen and will certainly involve one or two spectacular accidents. In research, the most important thing is to be patient and not let the many failures distract you from your goal.