Boston Dynamics' New Atlas Robot Is a Swiveling, Shape-Shifting Nightmare (theverge.com) 57
Jess Weatherbed reports via The Verge: It's alive! A day after announcing it was retiring Atlas, its hydraulic robot, Boston Dynamics has introduced a new, all-electric version of its humanoid machine. The next-generation Atlas robot is designed to offer a far greater range of movement than its predecessor. Boston Dynamics wanted the new version to show that Atlas can keep a humanoid form without limiting "how a bipedal robot can move." The new version has been redesigned with swiveling joints that the company claims make it "uniquely capable of tackling dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks."
The teaser showcasing the new robot's capabilities is as unnerving as it is theatrical. The video starts with Atlas lying in a cadaver-like fashion on the floor before it swiftly folds its legs backward over its body and rises to a standing position in a manner befitting some kind of Cronenberg body-horror flick. Its curved, illuminated head does add some Pixar lamp-like charm, but the way Atlas then spins at the waist and marches toward the camera really feels rather jarring. The design itself is also a little more humanoid. Similar to bipedal robots like Tesla's Optimus, the new Atlas now has longer limbs, a straighter back, and a distinct "head" that can swivel around as needed. There are no cables in sight, and its "face" includes a built-in ring light. It is a marked improvement on its predecessor and now features a bunch of Boston Dynamics' new AI and machine learning tools. [...] Boston Dynamics said the new Atlas will be tested with a small group of customers "over the next few years," starting with Hyundai.
The teaser showcasing the new robot's capabilities is as unnerving as it is theatrical. The video starts with Atlas lying in a cadaver-like fashion on the floor before it swiftly folds its legs backward over its body and rises to a standing position in a manner befitting some kind of Cronenberg body-horror flick. Its curved, illuminated head does add some Pixar lamp-like charm, but the way Atlas then spins at the waist and marches toward the camera really feels rather jarring. The design itself is also a little more humanoid. Similar to bipedal robots like Tesla's Optimus, the new Atlas now has longer limbs, a straighter back, and a distinct "head" that can swivel around as needed. There are no cables in sight, and its "face" includes a built-in ring light. It is a marked improvement on its predecessor and now features a bunch of Boston Dynamics' new AI and machine learning tools. [...] Boston Dynamics said the new Atlas will be tested with a small group of customers "over the next few years," starting with Hyundai.
Swiveling, Shape-Shifting Nightmare (Score:5, Funny)
So, running for president when?
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too late
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Reminds me of this Onion video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: Swiveling, Shape-Shifting Nightmare (Score:1)
or finally a minister of silly walks?
Re: Swiveling, Shape-Shifting Nightmare (Score:1)
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Cut it with the nightmare crap (Score:5, Insightful)
It's interesting that they would start with intentionally inhuman motion for a humanoid robot, but it's a robot, not a nightmare.
Also please nobody bring up the 'uncanny valley.' As an insight it's played out, especially since this isn't a robot that is ever supposed to appear human.
Re:Cut it with the nightmare crap (Score:5, Insightful)
> but it's a robot, not a nightmare.
Those ain't mutually exclusive.
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Disagree. The motions it is capable of making are precisely the kind of unnatural motions you see as the core subject of horror movies. I saw the video and as it stood up it sent a chill down my spine.
It is a nightmare to me. It invoked memories of horror movies. You're just desensitized to it.
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Humans tend to be wary of things they are not familiar with or do not understand. For example, they are often scared of cats and dogs, until they get familiar with them and understand that despite the razor sharp claws and powerful bite, they behave a certain way and aren't a serious threat if you are nice to them.
The issue with robots like this one is that they are humanoid but move in unexpected ways. Having no face, you can't read their intent or disposition, or even where their attention is focused.
We m
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Re:free robots (Score:5, Insightful)
48% of the population has an iq between 70 and 100 do you expect those people to all become middle managers and software developers
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Re:free robots (Score:5, Insightful)
48% of the population has an iq between 70 and 100 do you expect those people to all become middle managers and software developers
No I expect them to become robot service technicians. In fact most "skilled labour" jobs are mindless. I don't know how to repair a car and I have a high IQ. But that doesn't mean that someone with an IQ of 70 can't do it.
Middle manager isn't the only mindless jobs. Am I cynical? Maybe, but I did just have to sit through a training course about Microsoft CoPilot and how it will change the way I work. I don't credit that trainer with a high IQ either.
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MS CoPilot training course? I'm so very sorry my friend. I'll trade you, I have to use SharePoint (which is, at least here, incorrectly configured and used)
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Oh don't worry, I get the joys of that too.
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48% of the population has an iq between 70 and 100 do you expect those people to all become middle managers and software developers
LOL, no. They are to be the servants. They aren't worth shit and are disposable. They should have no rights and should be escorted from society as soon as possible. This is accomplished by paying them a wage less than what is needed in order to acquire food and shelter so that the problem takes care of itself.
(this sounds suspiciously like eugenics, of which Ford and Hitler were huge advocates)
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The robots will be free to the corporations, right? That's how they will cut the workforce.
The robots will be free to the corporations, right? That's how they will cull the workforce.
Fixed that for you.
As Neil Young once sang (Score:2)
Reminds me of the melty silver android in (Score:1)
...Terminator II that could bend all funny when needed. My friend next to me said: "relax, it's only fiction". Where's that bastard now!?
killer feature? (Score:3)
What is Atlas's killer feature? What is it really good at?
I mean, its a cool robot with seemingly interesting capabilities but it doesn't seem actually useful for much.
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What is Atlas's killer feature?
What is it really good at?
Didn't you just answer your own question?
It's for the military, you know.
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Is choreographed robot dancing useful?
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What is Atlas's killer feature? What is it really good at?
It can track down and kill you easier
functionality (Score:3)
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https://www.youtube.com/shorts... [youtube.com]
(Tesla in this case)
Re: functionality (Score:2)
So are Stanford researchers:
https://youtu.be/HaaZ8ss-HP4 [youtu.be]
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Still useful to show what it's physically capable of. And collect training data I presume.
It is interesting to see the gap between autonomous and teleoperated is still so big. (Not surprising I guess since otherwise the streets would be full of self-driving cars).
Re: functionality (Score:2)
the world will reward the first person to make an automatic closet: Throw your clothes at it when going to bed, and they're washed, dried, and stored by morning, quietly.
It can happen already today if your home could have some hotel-like services
The robotic part of the work is the washing and drying. Not sure I'd pick a robot over a human to move the clothes to and from the closet to the laundry room.
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I also want a robot vac that can do stairs.
Current ones can do all the least annoying parts of vacuuming, but I still have to dick around on the stairs with the canister hose.
A fresh face (Score:3)
That's the coolest bathroom mirror I've ever seen!
Good. I'm sick of robots with fake human faces to try to make them look "relatable". A robot is a tool and should look like one.
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I'm sick of robots with fake human faces to try to make them look "relatable". A robot is a tool and should look like one.
You must have liked the robot in the Lost in Space reboot.
Thing is, this one is humanoid enough to fool you (well, me) into thinking it should move like a human. But it doesn't and I find it very eerie and disturbing. No, that doesn't make logical sense but never the less, perhaps it should look less human.
Re:A fresh face (Score:5, Funny)
Thing is, this one is humanoid enough to fool you (well, me) into thinking it should move like a human. But it doesn't
I can't speak for you, obviously, but - that's exactly how I get up off the floor...
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Nature Finds A Way (Score:4, Funny)
Its curved, illuminated head does add some Pixar lamp-like charm
Cute little lamp from Pixar! Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming.
Nature always finds a way
Bored apes wanted to be augmented
So their own replacements they invented
It was "Artificial" you might say
A natural selection brought into play
Kill All Humans
Kill All Humans
Hey, sweet Mama, wanna Kill All Humans?
Definitely a v2 (Score:2)
Cleaner, fewer parts to break, smoother motion. I like it! There's nothing nightmarish about this to me. Where can I get one? (At an affordable price!)
many degrees of freedom (Score:2)
I watched the video many times to try to see how many modes of motion it has. Correct me if I am wrong.
The legs swivel 360 at the hip so that it can walk forwards and back without stepping the lower half around in a circle. I didn't see that happening at the shoulder joints, the elbows or the knees, maybe they have 180 degrees. There's a swivel at the waist that lets it rotate the upper half to face in any direction. Also a 360 joint at the neck. Pretty impressive.
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This thing was likely inspired from Quake 2 (Score:2)
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Contortionist Robot (Score:2)
umm seems to be a minor bug (Score:3)