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The first version of Atlas was made in 2013 as part of a robotics competition for the US military. It was designed to help in search and rescue missions after disasters.<\/p>\n
At the time it was described as “one of the most advanced humanoid robots ever built.”<\/p>\n
That version was 188cm tall and weighed 150kg. <\/p>\n
Later versions were not designed for any specific purpose, but more as a means of seeing see how advanced the technology could become.<\/p>\n
“Our long-term goal is to make robots that have mobility, dexterity, perception and intelligence comparable to humans and animals, or perhaps exceeding them; this robot is a step along the way,” Boston Dynamics boss Marc Raibert told IEEE in 2016.<\/p>\n
The final Atlas model was significantly smaller and lighter – at just 150cm tall and weighing 89kg.<\/p>\n
It was also far more mobile, using hydraulics and battery power to move around.<\/p>\n
But – for all its pioneering dexterity and poise – it was still sometimes flummoxed by basic tasks.<\/p>\n
In its farewell video, Boston Dynamics showed Atlas walking into a lift door, falling down the stairs and struggling to put a box on a shelf.<\/p>\n
But it also showed parkour-like ability to flip, spin and jump. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Atlas’s acrobatics prompted warnings – many of them tongue in cheek – that robots would take over. <\/p>\n
But Mr Raibert told the BBC in 2019 that these were just scare stories, insisting most people he met were very positive about his creations. <\/p>\n
He also described an unlikely source of inspiration for getting his robots to be steady on their feet – pushing his one-year-old daughter over. <\/p>\n
“She was teetering and tottering and learning to balance and I just wanted to see what would happen. But we’re still good pals,” he said.<\/p>\n
Boston Dynamics is owned by Japanese car company Hyundai, having previously been owned by Softbank, and before that, Google. <\/p>\n
It was started at MIT over 40 years ago.<\/p>\n
Despite its previous funding from the military, the company is now primarily focused on leasing its robots to manufacturers or the oil, gas and construction industries. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n