With rapid advancements in humanoid robotics, it’s been a while since we checked in with Boston Dynamics’ iconic robot, Atlas.
The New Atlas
The updated Atlas mimics human behavior but isn’t limited by it. The fully electric AI robot replaced the original hydraulic Atlas, which was retired in April 2024. Boston Dynamics says the robot’s form factor makes it ideal for working alongside people, but it’s designed to exceed human capability.
The company’s other robots, like Spot, are made for tasks like inspecting sites, mapping dangerous areas, and carrying heavy loads. Lessons from commercializing these robots are being applied to the new Atlas.
Boston Dynamics recently shared a montage of the hydraulic Atlas handling items like tools and stools, teasing much more to come. It’s unclear if the footage is from before or after its retirement.
Atlas is being tested in collaboration with its parent company, Hyundai, for next-generation automotive manufacturing processes. This signals that the humanoid robot isn’t just an R&D project anymore.
Boston Dynamics introduced the original Atlas in 2013. The robot was initially developed for search and rescue applications, with funding and oversight from DARPA. It was equipped with advanced sensory systems, including lidar and stereo vision, to perceive and interact with its surroundings.
At first, Atlas required a human operator, but it gained increasing levels of autonomy through subsequent revisions, eventually evolving to perform tasks independently and make real-time decisions based on environmental conditions.
The new Atlas features electric actuators rather than hydraulics for improved efficiency, precise control, and less complexity. Electric systems tend to run quieter and are generally more energy efficient, which is crucial for robots performing continuous tasks.
Boston Dynamics has also improved its software in recent years with advanced AI and machine learning tools. Reinforcement learning and computer vision help Atlas understand and adapt to complex situations, improving its usefulness in the real world.
In a recent blog post, the company stressed that commercializing advanced robots like Atlas requires patience—a virtue that may be elusive as competition grows rapidly in the humanoid robot market.
Today, Atlas is up against:
- Figure 02, which Figure AI calls the world’s most advanced and first commercially viable autonomous humanoid robot. Figure’s much-hyped robot recently completed testing at a BMW plant, and the luxury automaker is exploring future use.
- Unitree’s H1, a Chinese AI robot that can do backflips, is touted as the fastest humanoid robot on two feet. The H1 is available for purchase, with prices ranging from $90,000 to over $150,000, and is already used in universities for robotics research. At UC San Diego, for example, researchers taught the robot to dance.
- Tesla’s Optimus, which Elon Musk says could boost the EV automaker’s market value into the trillions, is also in the spotlight. A small number of Tesla Bots are being tested at Gigafactory, with plans to produce a limited number in 2025 for internal use and increase production in 2026.
- Agility Robotics’ Digit and Apptronics’ Apollo are both being deployed for warehouse work, while Phoenix, from Sanctuary AI, promises to bring artificial general intelligence into physical reality.
And that’s just to name a few.
While we await new details about the electric Atlas, let’s dive into the state of humanoid robotics.
CL-1 Performs Continuous Tasks
LimX Dynamics recently shared a 3-minute video of its CL-1 robot performing heavy-loading tasks continuously without stopping.
The robot uses sensors to find objects and automatically adjusts to handle different tasks. The humanoid robot ignores unexpected disruptions, relocates target objects, replans tasks on its own, and adjusts to place objects accurately.
The Chinese robotic startup says CL-1’s ability to handle issues and keep working is key to industrial efficiency. The robot can also dynamically adjust to real-time terrain changes, allowing it to navigate complex staircases. In the new video, CL1 demonstrates different postures like deep squatting, standing up, and walking while carrying a load.
LimX says its advanced motion control systems power the robot’s movements, allowing for smooth and precise whole-body motion.
The CL-1 is equipped with proprietary high-performance actuators for the strength and flexibility needed for complex movements. Its integrated active environment perception technology gives it visibility into different types of terrain. It uses general AI algorithms to learn and adapt in dynamic situations.
The company is working toward robotics that physically embody artificial general intelligence. LimX Dynamics is also developing its biped robot, P1, which can walk through tough terrains like forests using advanced learning techniques. The robot uses reinforcement learning to adapt to new environments with no prior knowledge. The company is using data from the P1 to make even more advanced robots in the future.
Anushka, North Indian Humanoid Robot
Anushka is the first humanoid robot with a beating heart and intelligence based on Vedic values, which are ancient Indian principles of self-awareness, right thinking, and moral behavior.
It was built from scrap parts found in a dump yard. Students from the Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology (KEIT) in India spent about a year and a half building the humanoid robot.
Its face is made from 3D-printed flexible silicone skin. It’s powered by an i7 processor, uses natural language processing for understanding and responding to queries, and relies on OpenAI technology to select and process data for interaction. The project was completed on a shoestring budget of less than $2,500.
Apple’s Robotic Ambitions
Is Apple about to join the growing humanoid robot market with its own advanced creations?
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to release a device that combines an iPad screen with a robot arm in 2026 or 2027. Mac Costello, who worked on the HomePod, is leading hardware development.
The robotic arm moves the screen and responds to voice commands using Siri. The development is expected to align closely with Apple’s AI systems, which are integrating with its hardware. The price would be around $11,000, according to the Bloomberg report.
Apple is also developing robots that can move around the house and is even considering a humanoid robot. Robotics expert Wolfram Tap-Hiner is leading the other robot projects with a team of about 100 engineers. Gurman reported that Apple’s industrial design team has been exploring robotics for years but struggled to get company buy-in.
Executives are prioritizing the project now as Apple seeks new revenue sources.
Rumors about Apple entering robotics picked up steam earlier in 2024 after the company ended its electric car project, called Project Titan.
For almost a decade, Apple sought to create a self-driving car, but the project was plagued by changing leadership and struggles with emerging technology. Eventually, Apple’s executives decided the competition and cost were too much to make it worthwhile.
Apple’s industrial design team has been exploring tabletop robotic concepts for years, but there wasn’t consensus within the company—including the software engineering organization and marketing teams—over whether to move forward.
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