Boston Dynamics bids farewell to HD Atlas after a long line of accidents

"Farewell to HD Atlas" is the title of the video that Boston Dynamics recently posted on YouTube as the apparent conclusion of the development of the Atlas robot, which runs and falls on two legs. It is intended as a farewell video and offers fans a nice insight into how the robot has developed over a decade and, above all, what it can and cannot do.

The developers used the opportunity to show a few of Atlas' accidents, which are likely to give some people goosebumps. Be it a fall that appears to affect the crotch, which Atlas appears to instinctively react to, or nastier falls in which Atlas "bleeds" hydraulic fluid. And plenty of it.

There is also a brief glimpse into the early days when Atlas could barely walk and had to use a safety line to cross rough terrain. A skill that Atlas had to learn bit by bit.

Atlas was repeatedly tormented in the years that followed, whether it was the deliberate pushing by his "parents" or the accidents. It was common knowledge that the robot had to be repaired quite often. But the damage often looks like a lot of work. Especially as Atlas was unable to catch himself in some situations and rolled down a hill that he was supposed to walk down.

Over the years, however, Atlas managed to perform more and more tricks, even if these were accompanied by serious accidents. The development process also shows how complex the walking of a biped actually is from an IT perspective. If these were not taken into account in the programming for Atlas, the damage caused by certain tricks is considerable, as the video clearly shows.

Boston Dynamics leaves the next steps open. "'Til we meet again, Atlas" it says at the end. Is a new biped coming? Perhaps one that can't bleed hydraulic fluid, as some people suspect in the comments? Only time will tell. But Boston Dynamics is always good for a nice surprise.