Watch Boston Dynamics’ Humanoid Robot Do a Backflip

Latest update video shows off Atlas’ new capabilities.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Boston Dynamics. The last news we had from the secretive company came in the form of a leaked video showing Handle, which combines legs and wheels in what Marc Raibert, Boston Dynamics’ founder, jokingly described as a “nightmare-inducing robot.”

The latest video release indicates that the company’s humanoid robot, Atlas, has been getting some upgrades. The video below shows Atlas jumping on to, off of and between boxes, the highest of which is nearly half its height. The final showstopper, however, is a backflip worthy of an Olympic competitor, at least one that’s a robot.

Check it out:

Note the way Atlas adjusts its legs after landing to maintain its balance.

As an added bonus, check out this preview of Boston Dynamics’ new SpotMini:

This is indeed a disturbing future, but don’t worry, Artificial Intelligence and Engineering can work hand-in-hand.

Written by

Ian Wright

Ian is a senior editor at engineering.com, covering additive manufacturing and 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing. Ian holds bachelors and masters degrees in philosophy from McMaster University and spent six years pursuing a doctoral degree at York University before withdrawing in good standing.