Robotics News: Boston Dynamics Celebrates Farewell to the Original Atlas and Introduces the Electric Atlas
The Boston Dynamics Atlas Robot: Falling Well and Getting Back Up
The world of robotics is often portrayed in a sleek and polished manner, with videos showcasing robots executing flawless maneuvers with precision and grace. However, behind every successful demonstration lies a trail of falls, mistakes, and failures. Boston Dynamics, a leader in robotics technology, recently bid farewell to their original hydraulic Atlas robot, highlighting the importance of transparency in showcasing the true journey of a robot’s development.
In a heartfelt video titled “Farewell to Atlas,” Boston Dynamics celebrated the decade-long journey of the original Atlas robot, showcasing not only its impressive achievements but also its moments of stumbling and falling. The video serves as a reminder that for every successful demonstration, there were countless hours of trial and error, learning, and improvement.
Boston Dynamics’ new Chief Technology Officer, Pras Velagapudi, emphasized the importance of robots experiencing falls as a natural part of their learning process. He stated that when robots are out in the real world, unexpected incidents will occur, and falling is a sign of pushing boundaries and testing limits. The ability for a robot to fall without breaking is crucial for its long-term success in real-world environments.
The company’s CEO, Robert Playter, highlighted the practicality of robots being able to get up from a prone position, as demonstrated by the electric Atlas robot. He noted that robots will inevitably fall, and the ability to recover from a fall is essential for their functionality and longevity. Boston Dynamics has incorporated learnings from their quadrupedal robot, Spot, which has accumulated thousands of hours of real-world experience, including occasional falls and challenges.
Agility Robotics, another key player in the robotics industry, shared insights on how their humanoid robot, Digit, has learned to recover from falls using reinforcement learning. By utilizing its arms to mitigate falls and leveraging its learnings to return to a stable position, Digit exemplifies the resilience and adaptability of humanoid robots in challenging situations.
The concept of falling well and getting back up again is not only important for the development of robots but also for their integration into existing workflows. As humanoid robots become more prevalent in factories and warehouses, the ability to recover from falls autonomously is crucial for ensuring uninterrupted automation and efficiency.
In conclusion, the journey of a robot is not just about its successes, but also about its falls and failures. By embracing and learning from these challenges, robotics companies like Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics are paving the way for a future where robots can navigate and adapt to real-world environments with resilience and confidence. As Velagapudi aptly stated, “When it comes to bipedal robotics, falling is a wonderful teacher.”