Video reveals robot that’s learned to run, flip and grab just like a person

A HUMANOID robot now has the ability to run and pick up items like the average human.

Atlas, a humanoid robot created by US-based Boston Dynamics, has been in development for several years.

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And now, in a new video, the robot is seen flaunting some intriguing new abilities.

This includes some very impressive acrobatic moves from the five-foot-tall android.

In the video, Atlas has to complete a series of tasks in order to bring a “coworker” his tools.

First, the robot locates a heavy plank, picks it up, and uses it as a bridge to get across a piece of scaffolding.

The bot then picks up a heavy tool bag and runs across the plank while remaining balanced.

As it approaches the end of the plank, Atlas jumps up to a higher level.

It then throws the tool bag up onto another level to its human coworker.

The bot, successfully completing all this, concludes the impressive performance by pushing a heavy crate down onto the floor and carrying out an inverted 540-degree flip.

Because Atlas is equipped with 28 hydraulically-actuated joints, it has developed both quick speed and steady balance.

However, now the robot has also been advancing in identifying depth perception and object manipulation,

“We’re not just thinking about how to make the robot move dynamically through its environment like we did in parkour and dance,” Atlas team lead Scott Kuindersma told New Atlas.

“Now we’re starting to put Atlas to work, and think about how the robot should be able to perceive and manipulate objects in its environment.”

Still, Atlas has a long way to go before it can be fully utilized in real-world scenarios, New Atlas reports.