2.5M views · Oct 30, 2024 · 2:53 · 0 HN recommenders · 3 mentions · discussed 2025
Boston Dynamics shows the electric Atlas autonomously moving engine covers between containers and a sequencing dolly. It uses an ML vision model and grasping policy with no teleoperation or prescribed motions.
Why Hacker News points people here: Used as a data point on how capable humanoid robots are at practical tasks, with commenters noting how far they are from household chores.
“Folding, hanging, and dresser drawer operation appears to be a few years out still.”
Shows Atlas manipulating objects, which still looks years from folding laundry.
2 months ago, Boston Dynamics' Atlas was barely able to put solid objects in open cubbies. [1] Folding, hanging, and dresser drawer operation appears to be a few years out still. this video
“But you can still find videos of Atlas doing practical tasks, just not as impressively as it jumps around.”
Atlas doing practical tasks, less impressively than its acrobatics.
When a robot is moving itself it has a very good idea of what each part of itself weighs, how big it is, and has sensors to tell it what angle all its joints are at. These are all much more difficult with an object the robot is holding in its hand. But you can still find videos of Atlas doing practical tasks, just not as impressively as it jumps around. this video A mentor of mine in robotics talks about how the people at his research group would watch a video from an old Julia Childs TV show of her chopping vegetables and doing other cooking tasks and they would try to figure out how long until a robot could do those things.
“You can see it bump and then move VERY quickly”
Points to a moment where Atlas moves dangerously fast.
From a different robot (Boston Dynamics' new Atlas) - the system moves at a "reasonable" speed. But watch at 1m20s in this video[1]. You can see it bump and then move VERY quickly -- with speed that would certainly damage something, or hurt someone. [1] this video
