You’ll want to head down to the video showing Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot at work sorting machine parts. A static image doesn’t do the event justice.
Atlas, the redesigned robot that has terrified us for years, has just shown off its new autonomous capability by getting to work sorting car parts. It doesn’t look far from being offered a contract to continue working 24/7 and (possibly) setting us all up for a real-world Feet of Clay.
Atlas plugged
The video above, shared by Boston Dynamics on YouTube, shows fully autonomous operation by the robotic entity. In case its little robot head turns to spot where it’s going next, the video also shows little inset windows that reveal what the robot is ‘seeing’.
The performance is incredible, especially when compared to Tesla’s Optimus robots. According to Boston Dynamics, Atlas “is able to detect and react to changes in the environment (e.g., moving fixtures) and action failures (e.g., failure to insert the cover, tripping, environment collisions…using a combination of vision, force, and proprioceptive sensors”, all without any human intervention.
It doesn’t look far off from long-term employment in the above tech demo but humanoid robots aren’t that likely to displace humans working in factories. At least, not like this. If they’re able to attain and exceed human mobility, they’ll venture into higher-risk areas. You know, like radiation-soaked wastelands and space stations, to pave the way for humans. Hopefully they’ll let us in, when the time comes.
