Lifestyle

Parkour Buddy

Inspired by human behavior, Boston Dynamics trained the new Atlas robot through a complex parkour course of leaps, bounds and backflips. Is a humanoid exercise pal in your future?
Words by Zelda Grant | April 26, 2023 | Lifestyle

The advanced control system and state-of-the-art hardware of the latest robot from Boston Dynamics gives Atlas the power and balance to demonstrate human-level agility. Inside its high-power physique is one of the world’s most compact mobile hydraulic systems. A custom battery, valves, and a compact hydraulic power unit enable the machine to deliver high power to any of its 28 hydraulic actuation joints for impressive feats of mobility. Meanwhile, its advanced control system enables highly diverse and agile locomotion, while algorithms reason through complex dynamic interactions involving the whole body and environment to plan movements. Atlas further utilizes behavior libraries to complete complex routines, real-time perception to detect its surroundings and model-predictive control to evolve accordingly. It can achieve speeds of up to 2.5 meters per second; BostonDynamics.com.