Running Boston Dynamics robot can now also parkour
It has been a while since we could take a look at our new robot overlords, so robot maker Boston Dynamics has brought out a new video from Atlas, which can run and jump a little better than we have seen so far. Of course, we do not know how many attempts they have needed to make Atlas run this course, but if you watch the video (and then certainly the slow-mo images at the end) it is clear that the progress can not be stopped anymore.
After Atlas already showed a backward somersault and proved that he can run a bit outside the door but if you think about the concept of parkour (using the environment to keep moving forward, both horizontally and vertically, without decelerating) and how much coordination is needed for it, a robot that can handle any surface does not seem far away.
The mobile future
If Atlas can combine all its movements without getting confused, the robot could be used to do rescue work, for example, or to help people who are less mobile themselves. The steps that are taken here are fairly significant, so we can expect a demonstration that will stay alive at the beginning of next year. If Boston Dynamics can combine the different possibilities that their robots have, it will be even more exciting, but that is probably even further away.