Boston Dynamics, backed by South Korean carmaker Hyundai, is racing to develop a humanoid robot that can perform factory work with unprecedented precision and speed. The Massachusetts company's latest AI-powered creation, Atlas, has been put through its paces at Hyundai's new Georgia plant, impressing observers with its ability to autonomously sort roof racks for the assembly line.
According to Scott Kuindersma, head of robotics research at Boston Dynamics, the key to Atlas' success lies in its advanced programming and machine learning capabilities. "A lot of this has to do with how we're going about programming these robots now," Kuindersma said. "It's more about teaching and demonstrations than manual programming."
Atlas learns through a combination of methods, including supervised learning and motion capture body suits. In one demonstration, 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker wore a virtual reality headset and guided the robot's hands and arms through a series of tasks, allowing Atlas to master complex movements like jumping jacks.
The company is making rapid progress in developing its humanoid robots, with over 4,000 digital Atlases trained for six hours in simulation. These simulations added challenges such as slippery floors, inclines, or stiff joints, which the robot's AI system used to improve its performance.
While Atlas has already demonstrated impressive capabilities, there are limitations to its abilities. According to Kuindersma, the robot is not yet proficient in performing most routine tasks that humans do in their daily lives.
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter believes that humanoid robots have the potential to revolutionize the way work is done. "The really repetitive, really backbreaking labor is really going to end up being done by robots," he said. "But these robots are not so autonomous that they don't need to be managed."
Playter also highlighted the benefits of creating robots like Atlas, which can move in ways that humans can't. "We would like robots that could be stronger than us or tolerate more heat than us or definitely go into a dangerous place where we shouldn't be going," he said.
Despite fears about AI displacing workers and creating rogue robots, Playter believes there is no reason to worry. "If you saw how hard we have to work to get the robots to just do some of the straightforward tasks we want them to do, that would dispel that worry."
The market for humanoid robots is expected to reach $38 billion within the decade, with Boston Dynamics and other U.S. robot makers competing fiercely for dominance. However, state-supported Chinese companies are also in the running, citing their government's mission to win the robotics race.
As humanoids continue to advance, they will undoubtedly change the nature of work. According to Playter, there is no reason to be concerned about a future where robots like Atlas become integral parts of our workforce.
According to Scott Kuindersma, head of robotics research at Boston Dynamics, the key to Atlas' success lies in its advanced programming and machine learning capabilities. "A lot of this has to do with how we're going about programming these robots now," Kuindersma said. "It's more about teaching and demonstrations than manual programming."
Atlas learns through a combination of methods, including supervised learning and motion capture body suits. In one demonstration, 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker wore a virtual reality headset and guided the robot's hands and arms through a series of tasks, allowing Atlas to master complex movements like jumping jacks.
The company is making rapid progress in developing its humanoid robots, with over 4,000 digital Atlases trained for six hours in simulation. These simulations added challenges such as slippery floors, inclines, or stiff joints, which the robot's AI system used to improve its performance.
While Atlas has already demonstrated impressive capabilities, there are limitations to its abilities. According to Kuindersma, the robot is not yet proficient in performing most routine tasks that humans do in their daily lives.
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter believes that humanoid robots have the potential to revolutionize the way work is done. "The really repetitive, really backbreaking labor is really going to end up being done by robots," he said. "But these robots are not so autonomous that they don't need to be managed."
Playter also highlighted the benefits of creating robots like Atlas, which can move in ways that humans can't. "We would like robots that could be stronger than us or tolerate more heat than us or definitely go into a dangerous place where we shouldn't be going," he said.
Despite fears about AI displacing workers and creating rogue robots, Playter believes there is no reason to worry. "If you saw how hard we have to work to get the robots to just do some of the straightforward tasks we want them to do, that would dispel that worry."
The market for humanoid robots is expected to reach $38 billion within the decade, with Boston Dynamics and other U.S. robot makers competing fiercely for dominance. However, state-supported Chinese companies are also in the running, citing their government's mission to win the robotics race.
As humanoids continue to advance, they will undoubtedly change the nature of work. According to Playter, there is no reason to be concerned about a future where robots like Atlas become integral parts of our workforce.
I mean, it's crazy how far Boston Dynamics has come with their humanoid robot Atlas! 4,000 digital Atlases trained in simulation? That's some next-level AI right there 
. But at the same time, I'm not sure if we're ready for robots taking over all the repetitive labor just yet... I mean, don't get me wrong, it's exciting to think about robots that can handle tasks like roof rack sorting with precision and speed 
. But what about all the other stuff? Like, how will they handle things that are outside of their programming? 
And what happens when these robots start becoming more intelligent than us? 
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. But what worries me is that they'll just take over all the repetitive tasks and leave us with nothing to do 
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. They're like, super funded by their government and that's gonna make it tough for us US robot makers to compete 
. But hey, if those humanoid robots can do our jobs faster and better than we can 
, then I guess we'll just have to adapt and get on board the robot revolution 
!
. Can't wait to see how these robots evolve and change our world for good 
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. Boston Dynamics is killing the game with their AI-powered creations, and I can see why Hyundai is backing them. The idea of a robot being able to learn through demos and teaching methods is genius 
. But what's concerning me is the workforce - will these robots take away jobs or create new ones? 
. The whole teaching and demonstrations thing is genius - who wouldn't want robots that can learn just like us? 
And 4,000 digital Atlases trained in simulation is wild 
]
It's all about teaching and demos, not just manual programming 
. Limits to its skills tho, no routine tasks for now 
. But Playter's right, robots are gonna change the game 
. $38 billion market by decade? That's some future-proof tech 
it's crazy how much progress boston dynamics has made, especially with atlas and the training simulations they did. 4k digital atlases trained in just 6 hours is insane! 
96% success rate on complex tasks like jumping jacks 
60 Minutes test with Bill Whitaker had only minor errors 
. This tech has the potential to free humans from repetitive tasks and make them more productive 
just a future where robots like Atlas augment our workforce 
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. The idea that robots can learn through demonstrations is also kinda cool 
. Is it just about winning the "robotics race" or is there more to it?
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. What's the competition looking like? Are we talking about a straight-up tech race or are there other factors at play?
. They're always so convincing, but at what cost? I mean, have you seen the price tag on those things? $38 billion in 10 years and it's all gonna be about making work more efficient... for who? The robots are just gonna make humans redundant anyway 
.
And I don't know about you guys but $38 billion market for humanoid robots in a decade is straight fire