This Boston Dynamics Robots Can Run Pretty Well and We’re All Doomed

Have you ever had a nightmare where you’re being chased through the woods by a robot, and no matter what you do you can’t shake it, because it can jog right behind you successfully confront whatever obstacles you try to throw in its way? Bad news: That’s actually real life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSohj-IclcThe robot experts over at Boston Dynamics now have a robot that’s capable of bipedal running that looks pretty darn human. Atlas, as the robot is named, is jogging at a fairly relaxed pace that looks pretty natural: He’s pumping his arms, moving his legs, and keeping himself in an upright position. He’s not going super fast just yet, so for the time being, you should be able to outrun him… unless it’s an endurance game, because if you equip Atlas with solar power, he could probably go all day.

The video also shows him jumping over logs, and while it definitely slows him down — he has to stop first and then jump — he does it without issue. If Atlas looks familiar, by the way, it’s because you’ve probably seen him before. Atlas is the same robot we saw doing back flips last year. So basically, he’s in better shape than all of us and if we ever wrong him, he will chase us down regardless of the circumstances.

Now that the robots can run, should we fear for our lives? Do you miss the days when the most advanced robots we had were handheld and could tell you what 28 times 4 is? Address your deepest fears in the comments below!

Featured image: Boston Dynamics/YouTube

Top Stories
Trending Topics