Remember Atlas, the robot that can run like a person? It can now do a lot more than that. Robotics company Boston Dynamics posted a new video on YouTube showcasing the robot’s latest progress, carrying it past its prior agility goals in leaps and bounds — literally.
“Atlas does parkour,” Boston Dynamics wrote in the video description. Footage shows Atlas nimbly leaping over a log and skipping between platforms of different heights “without breaking its pace,” according to the description.
As Atlas navigates the challenges of the obstacle course, a slow-motion sequence emphasizes the precision in its movements as it leaps between platforms, each one measuring about 16 inches (40 centimeters) high. Software and vision sensors control Atlas’s navigation, according to the video description — nevertheless, the robot’s coordination seem remarkably humanlike for a machine.
By Mindy Weisberger – Full Story at Live Science