Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute (TRI) have unveiled a notable advancement in robotic technology with their humanoid robot, Atlas. A video, showcased by both entities, demonstrates Atlas executing a sequence of tasks including sorting and packing, which required it to integrate whole-body motions such as walking, crouching, and lifting, Boston.com reported.
Intriguingly, when a researcher introduced an obstacle by using a hockey stick to move a box away from Atlas, the robot was quick to react, re-positioning the box to proceed with its task. This display of responsiveness shows a departure from previous humanoid robots, which traditionally managed walking and balancing separately from arm manipulation. The Atlas robot has been programmed with a so-called Large Behavior Model (LBM) that coordinates its entire body's actions, Robotics Tomorrow disclosed.
Scott Kuindersma, vice president of Robotics Research at Boston Dynamics, underscored the importance of the endeavor, saying, “This work provides a glimpse into how we’re thinking about building general-purpose robots that will transform how we live and work," in a statement obtained by Boston.com. The collaboration between Boston Dynamics and TRI, which took off in October 2024, is focused on the development of a humanoid assistant that could potentially be deployed across various industries and settings.
Meanwhile, Russ Tedrake, Senior Vice President of Large Behavior Models at Toyota Research Institute, explained the value of LBMs in a novel way, "skills are added quickly via demonstrations from humans, and as the LBMs get stronger, they require less and less demonstrations to achieve more and more robust behaviors," according to a Robotics Tomorrow interview.
The co-leaders of the project are delving into fundamental questions about humanoid robotics and LBMs to advance the understanding of whole-body control, and superior manipulation, dynamic behavior. For those seeking more in-depth technical information, a visit to Boston Dynamics' blog section provides a deeper dive into the world of Atlas and its groundbreaking capabilities.
