Boston Dynamics' popular bipedal bot can now run untethered through uneven fields just like any regular human going on a jog. These Boston Dynamics robots just keep getting more efficient and skilled -- especially the bipedal Atlas robot. In the most recent video from the robotics company, the human-like robot goes for a jog. It's one of the first times a bipedal robot has successfully run across natural terrain without issues (well, at least from what we see in this 30-second clip).
Atlas's movements seem eerily natural, as the legs parallel the movement seen in most people who jog recreationally. Atlas's arms swing as well, keeping the system balanced and the momentum going.
But wait, Atlas comes across a small obstacle. What will he do? Rip in half? Kick it? Run around it? Trip over it? In this instance, Atlas opts for a hop over the log -- landing perfectly balanced on the other side.
On the surface, Atlas's quick run doesn't seem nearly as impressive as when the robot landed a backflip in November 2017. However, a bipedal bot running through uneven terrain without falling on its face completely is nothing to scoff at either.
The Atlas unit currently stands at 1.5 meters high (roughly 5 feet tall) and weighs roughly 75 kg (165 lbs). Atlas's specs, as well as its apparent skills, were enough to send Elon Musk on a doomsday-sounding Twitter spree, warning of robots even more powerful than Atlas soon to come.
