Its name is Atlas, an all-electric humanoid robot from Boston Dynamics, the Massachusetts-based company and maker of the four-legged inspection robot, Spot, and the mobile warehouse robot, Stretch. Hyundai, which owns Boston Dynamics, unveiled the latest version of Atlas at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 5. During live demonstrations, Atlas was seen waving hello to its audience before moving car parts from one rack to another.
Not everybody agrees that replicating the four-limbed, bipedal shape of a human should be replicated in robot form. For one, walking with two feet is inherently less stable than four, nevermind a set of wheels. Replicating the dexterity and fine motor skills of human hands also remains a major challenge. In a modified approach, Boston Dynamics has clearly decided to loosen up some of the restrictions of the human form.