In an exciting new venture, Boston Dynamics is collaborating with a group led by its founder and former CEO to create an innovative humanoid robot called Atlas. This initiative, in partnership with the Robotics & AI Institute under the guidance of the forward-thinking Marc Raibert, aims to enhance Atlas’s capabilities using reinforcement learning, a machine learning technique that helps machines learn through experience and mistakes.
Launched recently, this project will focus on improving Atlas’s skills in performing tasks such as opening doors and running. By drawing on the expertise of the Robotics & AI Institute, Boston Dynamics hopes to expand the horizons of humanoid robotics and facilitate the process of skill acquisition for Atlas.
Marc Raibert, the visionary founder of Boston Dynamics, started the company in 1992 after leaving his position as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he taught for nearly ten years. In addition to their famous robot dog “Spot,” Boston Dynamics has a varied lineup of commercial robots, including Stretch, which is designed for moving boxes in warehouses. The company’s initial hydraulic humanoid robot, unveiled in 2013, has recently been upgraded to a new electric model geared towards practical applications.
In a significant development, Hyundai acquired a controlling interest in Boston Dynamics in 2021, valuing the robotics company at $1.1 billion. Following this acquisition, the automaker established the Robotics & AI Institute with a generous $400 million investment, led by Raibert. The institute aims to tackle challenges in AI as it relates to robotics, with a focus on cognitive AI, athletic AI, and ethical considerations in robotics.
The team at the Robotics & AI Institute is committed to boosting Atlas’s performance by focusing on areas such as object manipulation, full-body coordination, and dynamic running techniques. They are also collaborating with Toyota’s research division, which partnered with Boston Dynamics last year, to further enhance Atlas’s adaptability and functionality in various settings and tasks.
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter has expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with the Robotics & AI Institute, highlighting how it will expedite the development of essential capabilities needed to integrate humanoid robots like Atlas into everyday situations. As the project progresses, the research team intends to share updates through regular publications and demonstrations, showcasing Atlas’s growth as a versatile tool for a wide range of tasks and environments.
