Boston Dynamics has unveiled a fully electric android designed for commercial use.
According to the company, it is developed for practical applications in manufacturing. As is customary, the team accompanied the announcement with a video showcasing the capabilities of the new model.
The firm will fully focus on the electric version and discontinue the hydraulic-driven Atlas.
The transition to the new model is based on Boston Dynamics’ partnership with Hyundai.
“In addition to investing in us, the Hyundai team is creating the next generation of automotive manufacturing capabilities. This will serve as an excellent testing ground for new Atlas applications. In the coming months and years, we are excited to demonstrate what the world’s most agile humanoid robot can do—in the lab, on the factory floor, and in our lives,” the press release states.
The company stated that the electric model will surpass the capabilities of hydraulic androids:
“The electric version will be stronger, with a wider range of motion than any of our previous generations. The last generation of hydraulic Atlas learned to lift and maneuver a wide variety of heavy, irregularly shaped objects. We will continue to develop existing movements and explore several new options for grips and manipulations.”
The press release mentioned the release of Orbit software, a centralized platform for managing the entire fleet of robots.
Currently, it is available for the Spot robot dogs, and the Stretch and Atlas models will also be integrated into this corporate solution. With the help of machine learning specialists, the team plans to develop its own AI models.
In April, the Chinese company UBTech partnered with Baidu to integrate speech and reasoning functions into the industrial humanoid Walker S.