Boston Dynamics has taught a robot to help at a construction site. See how he does it

Boston Dynamics is developing the capabilities of its Atlas humanoid robot. Previously, Hi-Tech told how it

taught him how to dance and showed him how to do handstands and somersaults. Atlas now performs application tasks that are useful on the construction site.

In a video published by the developers, the robotinteracts with the surrounding area to deliver tools to the person waiting on top of the scaffolding. To solve this seemingly trivial task, Atlas picks up, carries and throws a bag of tools, climbs stairs, jumps between levels of scaffolding, pushes away obstacles and performs complex somersaults.

Atlas robot on a construction site. Video: Boston Dynamics

The new features seem simple enough onbackground of previous achievements: parkour and dancing to different music. This feeling is deceptive, the developers explain. When performing sports exercises and during dances to music, the robot, in fact, remained blind: it ignored the environment and acted in “greenhouse conditions”.

For real work, Atlas must constantlystudy and evaluate the situation, as people do. For example, in order to push a wooden box off a platform, the robot must accurately calculate the force in order to make the box fall on the one hand, and not to lose balance on the other. Similarly, when performing a 180° turn jump with a board in hand, the robot must take into account the momentum of the board in order not to fall.

Unlike other Boston Dynamics developments,Atlas is not a commercial, but a testing platform: on this robot, the company explores new technologies and opportunities. Although in the future humanoid robots should become assistants for people, while their functionality is still limited, engineers say.

Parkour and dancing were interesting examplesquite extreme movements. Now we are trying to use this experience to perform useful manipulations. It is important for us that the robot can perform various tasks at a speed comparable to that of a human.

Ben Stevens, Atlas Project Manager at Boston Dynamics

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Cover image: Boston Dynamics