Boston Dynamics has bid farewell to the iconic hydraulic-powered Atlas humanoid robot and introduced a new, all-electric version that exceeds human performance in strength and flexibility. The company’s partnership with Hyundai will provide a testing ground for new Atlas applications, giving them a significant advantage. The electric Atlas is designed to be stronger and more agile than its predecessor, with a broader range of motion. Boston Dynamics has also made significant progress in software, equipping the robots with AI and machine learning tools for efficient real-world operation. The company aims to deliver a robot capable of tackling dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks, targeting a broader range of applications. While the new Atlas shows commercial potential, it’s not yet clear if it’s commercially viable at scale, and Boston Dynamics faces competition in the humanoid robotics space. Despite this, the introduction of the electric Atlas marks an exciting step towards commercial humanoid robotics, building on over a decade of ambition and expertise. Boston Dynamics expects Atlas to be in the technology demonstration phase in Hyundai factories as early as next year.
