Top US-based humanoid robotics firm pivots to China-dominated all-electric tech race
- Boston Dynamics announces move to quieter, more efficient robotics that are less costly to operate, and less prone to breakdowns
- Chinese companies are leading industry innovators in all-electric robotics and commercialisation, expert says
Last Wednesday, US-based firm Boston Dynamics released a video declaring that its hydraulic humanoid robot “Atlas” would be decommissioned. Known for its humanlike agility, and occasionally successful acrobatics, Atlas had captivated audiences worldwide.
The next day, the company introduced a new all-electric successor to Atlas, emphasising its “real-world applications”.
While hydraulic robots have greater limb strength, their hydraulic systems are complex and slower to respond. Electric motors are lighter, more flexible, faster and cost less.
The next-generation model – also named Atlas – features individual electric motors at each joint, giving it a wider range of motion that allows it to stand up from a prone position – something hydraulic robots and humans cannot do.
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Boston Dynamics’ pivot away from the original hydraulic-powered robot to the new electric version marks a shift towards strategies Chinese companies have been pursuing for years.