Atlas Humanoid Robot: A big moment was seen in the world of technology when Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics publicly presented its humanoid robot Atlas for the first time. Atlas’ entry on the CES Tech Showcase stage intensified the race with Tesla and other companies to create human-like robots.
Robot got up on stage and started walking
During this event held in Las Vegas, as soon as Atlas was called on the stage, it lifted itself from the floor and started walking without any faltering. This life-size robot with two arms and two legs roamed around on the stage for some time, waving at the audience and turning its head as if a human was looking around. During this demo, an engineer was controlling it through a remote nearby, although the company says that in actual use, Atlas will be able to move on its own.
Atlas will enter car factory by 2028
Boston Dynamics also said that a product version of Atlas is already being developed which is designed for tasks like car assembly. According to the plan, by 2028 this robot will be deployed in Hyundai’s electric vehicle factory located in Savannah, Georgia where it will help in the manufacturing process.
Company has made a name for itself with Spot robot
Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics has been working on robotic technology for several decades. The company has gained the most recognition from its dog-like robot Spot, which was its first commercial product. Hyundai’s event at CES was also started by four Spot robots who were seen dancing together to K-pop music.
New partnership with Google DeepMind
On this occasion, Hyundai also announced a new partnership with Google’s AI unit DeepMind. Under this, DeepMind’s artificial intelligence technology will be used in Boston Dynamics’ robots. Interestingly, Google has also previously owned Boston Dynamics, which it bought in 2013 and later sold to SoftBank. Hyundai acquired it from SoftBank in 2021.
Why do companies shy away from showing live demos?
Usually, robot manufacturing companies avoid showing their humanoid robots in live events because even the slightest mistake can lead to criticism. For this reason, most startups like to show their prototypes through edited videos on social media. But the live demo of Atlas was completed without any mistakes which impressed everyone.
A glimpse of the new Atlas model was also seen
At the end of the demo, Atlas waved his hands dramatically to introduce the new version of the product. This model was standing stable on the stage and its color was blue which looked slightly different from the prototype.
Robotics is gaining momentum due to AI boom
The rapidly increasing use of commercial AI and new technological advances have fueled huge investment in robotics. However, experts believe that it will take time for robots that can perform all types of tasks like humans to enter common places and homes.
How much danger is there to human jobs?
At present, humanoid robots do not have such precise understanding and skills that they can become a threat to human jobs on a large scale. But as these technologies improve, the debate about their impact on employment is sure to intensify. Interestingly, the Georgia plant where the Atlas will be tested was also the site of an immigration raid last year in which hundreds of workers were detained.
Also read:
Just took the phone away and the money was gone from the account! New Tap-to-Pay fraud targeting passengers, know how to avoid it
