I had meant to post this video some weeks ago but got caught up in a number of other social media related discussions that were a bit more salient at the time. That said, I’ve been a big fan (and critic) of some of the more recent innovations in robotics and this new clip shows some interesting advancements in the anthropomorphic sector of the field. It isn’t quite in the ‘uncanny valley’ realm but Boston Dynamics’ (paired with DARPA) newest creation appears to be able to confidently climb a staircase which is a fairly common task for most human beings but the very same task requires a significant amount of coordination on the part of machines. This isn’t the first time a robot has been able to ascend stairs but it is among the first where one has been able to do so in a fashion that is decidedly human.
The last time we saw a Boston Dynamics’ creation it was the somewhat ominous looking PETMAN taking a stroll on a treadmill.
Related articles:
- Robot babies (marshallstanton.com)
- Parrot’s AR.Drone 2.0 (marshallstanton.com)
- Geek-out Sunday part XV: uncanny valley (marshallstanton.com)
- PETMAN: a new chapter in anthropomorphic robotics (marshallstanton.com)
- Geek-out Sunday part XII: Kilobot (marshallstanton.com)
Filed under: Robotics and cybernetics, Science and health, Technology Tagged: Boston Dynamics, DARPA, Robot, Robotics
