Robots were harmed in the filming of this movie

Atlas in Parkour. © Boston Dynamics.

Boston Dynamics has a knack for media stunts. Part of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor conglomerate since late 2020, the robot maker’s new videos always go viral. Tuesday’s release, with over 4 million YouTube views to date, is no exception, and for good reason: two bipedal Atlas robots do back-flips and other amazing acrobatics on an obstacle course. A companion video shows the making-of, and the incredible amount of teamwork required. You start to understand that what looks easy in fact isn’t, and you cringe at blooper falls so bad that you almost feel for the robots. The tech shop had to make many repairs on robots damaged during the filming.

Scott Kuindersma, Atlas Team Lead at Boston Dynamics, explains that robots are pushed to their limits in this video, and shares: “I find it hard to imagine a world 20 years from now where there aren’t capable mobile robots that move with grace, reliability, and work alongside humans to enrich our lives. But we’re still in the early days of creating that future. I hope that demonstrations like this provide a small glimpse of what’s possible.” In contrast, the idea of Atlas robots patrolling the streets of a post-apocalyptic world is not the most comforting.

⇨ YouTube, “Atlas | Partners in Parkour.”

⇨ YouTube, “Inside the lab: How does Atlas work?.”

⇨ Boston Dynamics, Calvin Hennick, “Leaps, bounds, and backflips.”

2021-08-19