Boston Dynamics’ new humanoid robot moves like nothing you’ve ever seen before
A new robot has been debuted and it truly is the stuff of nightmares.
American engineering company Boston Dynamics is at the forefront of robotics, and this week it announced the retirement of its hydraulic Atlas robot.
But that wasn't the end of the road for the company - instead, it swiftly launched a fully electric version.
And the YouTube video showing off the 'all new Atlas' is equal parts impressive and bone-chillingly terrifying.
It starts with the new robot lying down - and it immediately looks sleeker and more advanced than the previous generation.
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From there, things start to get weird. The robot manages to bend its legs in an impossible way, planting them on the floor to stand up in a seriously spooky manner.
Throughout the video, the robot seems to be moving all of its joints in a 360 way - scary, because it looks like the shape of a human body, but that's certainly not something any normal person could do.
The robot then comes and 'looks' straight into the camera - and it feels like this powerful being is looking into your soul - before turning away and somewhat jerkily walking off.
According to Boston Dynamics, this fully electric robot is "designed for real-world application".
South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai has invested in Boston Dynamics, and is helping build the Atlas robot.
According to Boston Dynamics, "The electric version of Atlas will be stronger, with a broader range of motion than any of our previous generations."
The company adds: "Atlas may resemble a human form factor, but we are equipping the robot to move in the most efficient way possible to complete a task, rather than being constrained by a human range of motion. Atlas will move in ways that exceed human capabilities."
So yeah, the company is basically developing a better human than we could ever be - a slightly terrifying thought.
This is just the start for the new iteration of Atlas - our first look at what it can do. Boston Dynamics will likely keep on developing the tech and testing it both in the lab and real-world scenarios.
Atlas follows in the footsteps of Spot, the robotic 'dog' that you might have seen before - that is, we have to admit, just as creepy.
Under the YouTube video debuting the new Atlas, people can't seem to wrap their heads around why Boston Dynamics would make the robot seem so... ominous.
One commenter joked: "BD: 'We want to make it seem friendly and humanlike'. Also BD: 'Make it stand up like it needs an exorcism'."
A second added: "This one looks like if the lamp from Pixar got a body."
While many people were just blown away, plain and simple: "Dude I can't believe how COMPACT this is. Old Atlas was a bulky boi but this is just... a man. That you fit everything in there is NUTS."