Iconic humanoid robot renowned for its groundbreaking capabilities set to retire

  • Boston Dynamics is retiring its groundbreaking humanoid robot
  • Atlas has got to grips with acrobatics and a host of other antics over the last decade
  • But the hilarious montage reveals there have been some stumbles along the way

Published on Apr 17, 2024 at 1:57 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Apr 17, 2024 at 7:25 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

Iconic humanoid robot renowned for its groundbreaking capabilities set to retire

Boston Dynamics is sadly retiring its remarkable Atlas humanoid robot – and it’s been a journey.

As the hilarious yet charming montage shows, Atlas has been getting to grips with acrobatics and a whole host of other antics over the last decade.

However, its creator Boston Dynamics announced yesterday (16 April) that it’s time for Atlas to ‘kick back and relax’.

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Boston Dynamics described itself as a ‘global leader in developing and deploying highly mobile robots capable of tackling industry’s toughest challenges’.

“For almost a decade, Atlas has sparked our imagination, inspired the next generations of roboticists, and leapt over technical barriers in the field,” the post read.

“Now it’s time for our hydraulic Atlas robot to kick back and relax.”

The post was anchored on a video showing all the incredible thrills and spills the team behind Atlas has had over the past ten years.

Alongside footage of the team’s hard work, dedication, and Atlas’ amazing achievements resulting from that, there is also some humor.

In clips that make him appear arguably even more human, the bipedal humanoid robot can be seen taking plenty of tumbles during tests on challenging terrain, attempting to climb stairs, and when shoved by members of the team.

Despite this, it’s clear that the agile machine is capable of replicating human movement with groundbreaking accuracy – and some we can’t like parkour and somersaults.

The reason behind Boston Dynamics’ decision to retire Atlas has not been revealed.

Supercar Blondie has reached out to the robotics company for comment.

Impressed? This robot can walk, fly and skateboard.

More recently still, scientists have developed a shape-shifting humanoid robot that can liquefy itself.

It was earlier suggested that Boston Dynamics wanted to commercialize Atlas for warehouse and similar work.

However, it seems that it’s now gone in a different direction after learning from their time spent with Atlas.

The video leaves us with a glimmer of hope, however.

The video signs off with the message: “Til we meet again”.

Time will tell what Boston Dynamics has in store for us in the future.


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Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.