The Atlas Robot Is Dead. Long Live the Atlas Robot Leave a comment
You don’t must have been petrified by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Skynet-commissioned cyborg murderer in 1984’s The Terminator to worry that super-strong, all-terrain, bipedal humanoid robots sprinting up steps, pulling backflips, and righting themselves could possibly be programmed to interrupt our necks on sight. (And laser weapons, by no means give them laser weapons.)
With the Outdated Atlas, we may consolation ourselves with the notion that intelligent modifying meant Atlas wasn’t as self-righting over tough floor as the unique viral movies portrayed. The pratfalls within the retirement video show that hunch was right. Nevertheless, as we speak’s video would possibly properly resurrect any robotic overlord fears you might have since suppressed. This factor is horrifying, and never simply because it has a ringlight for a face. (Who had “Robotic YouTube influencer” on their 2024 bingo card?)
It was good figuring out you, Outdated Atlas—you superior, pratfalling, parkouring, steel man machine.
Scary, too, when you’re an Amazon warehouse employee, as a result of the New Atlas may do this job with one three-fingered hand tied behind its matte grey robotic again. Extra doubtless, nonetheless, is that Hyundai—which purchased Boston Dynamics in 2020, valuing it at $1 billion—may quickly set Atlas to work in its automotive factories. The “journey will begin with Hyundai,” confirmed Boston Dynamics in a statement asserting the All New Atlas launch.
Once more, no particulars have been launched, however we are able to surmise that the brand new Atlas shall be given uninteresting, repetitive duties within the Korean firm’s factories reasonably than, say, laser welding. (Bear in mind, maintain lasers away from robotic butlers.)
Hyundai isn’t the one firm planning to make use of humanoid robots as staff. Beating Tesla’s still-in-development Optimus line of humanoid robots, Sanctuary AI of Canada introduced on April 11 that it might be delivering a humanoid robot to Magna, an Austrian automotive agency that assembles vehicles for Mercedes, Jaguar, and BMW.
And Californian robotics startup Determine introduced in February that it had raised $675 million from buyers comparable to Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon to work with OpenAI on generative synthetic intelligence for humanoid robots.
A general-purpose humanoid robotic that may be taught on the fly. What may probably go mistaken with that?
