The electric humanoid Atlas from Boston Dynamics assembles car parts on its own

Boston Dynamics’ latest humanoid is quietly and leaps and bounds improving behind the scenes. It was announced in April, and in August we got a transient insight into the ability of the electric Atlas with a video of the robot doing push-ups. The latest moviereleased Wednesday, shows the robot doing work in an illustration space, moving engine parts between containers.

Boston Dynamics is quick to notice that actions are performed autonomously, without “prescribed or remotely controlled movements.” This disclaimer is seemingly a shadow solid over other humanoid demonstrations which were misleading in an try and attract attention online.

The video comes two weeks after Hyundai’s robotics company announced a landmark agreement with the Toyota Research Institute. It’s unclear how much of the three-minute video is the results of this partnership, which sees TRI bring impressive robotics learning capabilities and real-time adaptations to the platform.

Boston Dynamics notes: “The robot is capable of detect and reply to changes within the environment (e.g., moving equipment) and operational errors (e.g., cover not in place, tripping, collision with the environment) using a mix of vision, force, and proprioceptive sensors “

As with competitors like Figura, Tesla and Apptronik, Boston Dynamics’ first applications for the two-legged robot include work in car factories. This focus is sensible considering the corporate is currently owned by Hyundai, which has decided to strike a cope with Toyota’s research wing. The automotive industry has also been well ahead of the automation curve for many years.

In addition to autonomously performing tasks, the video shows off the impressive adaptive — and powerful — actuators because the robot rotates on the waist. The motion minimizes movements, saving precious seconds in the method.