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Boston Dynamics robot Atlas goes hands on [video]

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Re: Boston Dynamics robot Atlas goes hands on [video]

#22
post #5

While humanoid robots are neat, if not uncanny, I would love to see robots with forms optimized for their work. A large octopus with legs would be ideal for this sort of parts handling job.

Imagine you're working your 35-hour shift at the Fulfillment™ Center and all around you there's robotic eldritch horrors scurrying through the two-storey high shelves

Ah yes, man made horrors on the edge of my comprehension.

Re: Boston Dynamics robot Atlas goes hands on [video]

#23
post #5

While humanoid robots are neat, if not uncanny, I would love to see robots with forms optimized for their work. A large octopus with legs would be ideal for this sort of parts handling job.

The legs do seem like a huge overcomplication. I can't think of many situations where they would be worth the added cost/complexity (compared to simple wheels). Sure they can walk stairs, but a place that employs freaking robots could easily make it robot accessible too, it would seem.

Totally agree here... but I have no robotics experience to back it up.

Seems at the very least it could have little quad wheel things so it doesn't have to worry about balance as much.

Re: Boston Dynamics robot Atlas goes hands on [video]

#25
post #8

Compare this to the human controlled puppets Tesla demonstrated. Tesla made a big show of something Disney could do years ago. While Boston Dynamics is quietly building the real thing and showing us footage of it actually working.

You are comparing a live demo with many bots interacting with humans, versus a recording of a single bot in a factory by itself.

Re: Boston Dynamics robot Atlas goes hands on [video]

#27
post #24

Chinese Unitree's demos are better by now imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dFTc4W8wm0

What? The humanoid robot in the video is walking on the most even surface possible. Boston Dynamics has a more impressive walking video from 11 years ago (obviously restricted by the hardware at the time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD6Okylclb8

Yes, human-looking gait is nice, but it isn't worth anything if it can't translate to real-world settings.

Re: Boston Dynamics robot Atlas goes hands on [video]

#28
post #8

Compare this to the human controlled puppets Tesla demonstrated. Tesla made a big show of something Disney could do years ago. While Boston Dynamics is quietly building the real thing and showing us footage of it actually working.

The difference is Disney doesn't have any factories. I'd bet good money Tesla has Optimus doing real work in their factories, at scale, long before anyone else.

Re: Boston Dynamics robot Atlas goes hands on [video]

#30
post #24

Chinese Unitree's demos are better by now imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dFTc4W8wm0

Unitree is catching up to Boston Dynamics in locomotion, but has not surpassed them yet I think. Unitree's real advantage is the much lower cost of their hardware and their ability to mass produce their robots.

But IMO manipulation is harder than locomotion, both in hardware and software, and neither company is convincingly ahead there. I think the uncut laundry demo from Physical Intelligence a few days ago is better than anything shown by Unitree or BD for manipulation. https://www.physicalintelligence.company/blog/pi0#:~:text=Af....

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