Boston Dynamics released an update of its Atlas robot October 11, featuring some new parkour moves.
According to the video description, “The control software uses the whole body including legs, arms, and torso, to marshal the energy and strength for jumping over the log and leaping up the steps without breaking its pace.”
At a recorded step height of 40 cm (15.7 in.), the robot enlists the help of computer vision to “locate itself with respect to visible markers on the approach to hit the terrain accurately.”
This latest update comes off the heels of its outdoor exercise excursion back in May, taking a casual jog through the woods, and ending with a leap over a fallen log. Earlier in November 2017, Atlas was seen sticking a backflip off the highest in a series of boxes.
According to Boston Dynamics, the robot stands at 1.5 m (4.9 ft), weighs 79 kg (174.2 lb), and can handle a payload of 11 kg (24.3 lb). The robot is also battery powered, has lidar and stereo vision, uses hydraulic actuation, and has 28 joints of freedom.
Watch Atlas mastering parkour in the video below.