Why is Boston Dynamics moving to all-electric robots?
Author |
Editor|Wang Bo
"For a decade, Atlas has sparked our imaginations, inspired the next generation of roboticists, and pushed the boundaries of technology in the field. Now, it's time for our hydraulic Atlas robot to take a break and relax. ”
On April 16, Boston Dynamics released the video "Goodbye, Hydraulic Atlas", officially announcing the retirement of its hydraulically driven bipedal humanoid robot Atlas.
At the end of the video, Atlas bows deeply, followed by the phrase "Until we meet again, Atlas".
The reunion didn't have to wait long, and less than 24 hours after Boston Dynamics announced the retirement of its hydraulic Atlas robot, its newly developed all-electric Atlas robot was unveiled.
According to Boston Dynamics, the next-generation Atlas is based on decades of research, "We have never lost sight of our commitment to building the most powerful and practical mobile robots in the industry today to solve the toughest problems." ”
Since its debut in 2013, the Atlas has garnered a lot of attention for its unique design and highly flexible athletic capabilities. But why would Boston Dynamics abandon hydraulics in favor of an all-electric route?
"The first is that Boston Dynamics wants to be more commercial, the maintenance cost of the hydraulic path is high, and it is too user-friendly, and the second is that the power of the motor has been greatly improved in recent years. Boston Dynamics chose hydraulics because of the higher torque output, and they wanted to do dynamic control. But now electric motor drives may work better than using hydraulic drives, also thanks to the development of electric vehicles. On the whole, electric is definitely the main development path of robots. Max, a researcher in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Jiazi Lightyear.
The transition from hydraulic drive to all-electric is an important step towards practical use for Atlas robots. This time, Boston Dynamics emphasized the use cases of "laboratory, factory, and everyday life." Power systems are generally quieter, more responsive, and easier to maintain. They also allow for finer control of movements, which is essential for tasks that require high precision and agility. In addition, power systems may be more energy efficient, reducing the robot's operating costs and environmental impact.
In addition, all-electric robots are also more in line with the trend of robotics and automation, as can be seen from the robots unveiled at the NVIDIA GTC.
The retirement of the hydraulically driven Atlas marked the end of an era. And in the era of all-electric robots, which are already full of experts, the new all-electric Atlas still surprises people – just like the backflip more than a decade ago.
1. Humanoid robots don't have to be human-like
Although Boston Dynamics' "all-new Atlas" demo video is only 39 seconds long, it is full of detail.
Among them, the most striking are the movements of the robots – some of which have surpassed the ability of humans to move.
In the video, the electric Atlas is lying on the ground, and the sound of the motor running can be faintly heard in the background. It's not particularly quiet, but it's a big improvement over its predecessor, the Hydraulic Atlas.
Soon, Atlas's legs were bent at the knees, and his legs were twisted in an unconventional position, allowing him to stand without hand support. It turns out that lying down is just a "feint", but in fact it changes position through clever leg rotation.
来源：Boston Dynamics
"We designed a custom-made, high-power, and extremely flexible set of actuators at most of the joints. Boston Dynamics CEO Robert J. According to Robert Playter, "It's a huge range of motion. This really brings the power of a top athlete into this small device, and we applied this technology to the design of the entire robot. ”
In addition, the electric Atlas has a "nimble turn" feature. Atlas stands fully with his back to the camera, and as he walks towards the camera, Atlas rotates his head 180 degrees, followed by his upper body. The upper body then follows the head again and rotates 180 degrees, and Atlas walks away from the camera, disappearing from the frame.
来源：Boston Dynamics
Although the gait is slightly stiff, it is much smoother than many commercial humanoid robots.
"It's going to be able to do a series of actions that people can't," Pratt explains, "and it's very practical." ”
It's also critical that the robot can turn around flexibly in a smaller space. These robots are designed to fit into existing workflows without changing the site layout. If the robot is nimble, it will be able to work smoothly in the original space, otherwise the entire workspace may need to be re-arranged.
Boston Dynamics' official review reads: "The electric Atlas will be more powerful and have a wider range of motion than our previous generations. Indeed, the new robot "disappears" the torso, bent legs, and armor plates with an excessively high center of gravity, and no exposed cables can be found on the new mechanical skeleton. Even, it is difficult for people to distinguish the positive and negative sides of it.
This also conveys Boston Dynamics' understanding of humanoid robots: building a humanoid robot doesn't need to make the robot as human-like as possible.
For example, the robot hand in the video is not a new design, it has been used in hydraulic models before. Boston Dynamics never designed them exactly to fit the human hand, with the hydraulic Atlas having four fingers and the electric Atlas having only three fingers.
"The hands of robots are complex," Pratt explains. When you put these machine parts in contact with a variety of objects, they have to be reliable and robust enough, so we reduced the number of fingers to simplify the design. We'll also continue to improve the structure of the hands so that they can softly grasp shapes, and they'll have sensors so the robot can sense when it's touching. ”
There's also a point of controversy in the design of the electric Atlas – its head, that large, circular display reminiscent of a vanity mirror.
"We put a lot of thought into this design element," Pratt said. The other robots all look like humans, but I want to make our robots look friendlier and more open. This head not only has a display, but also a sensor embedded in it. This design is also to make the robot appear more friendly, and the interaction between people and the robot is very important in the future. ”
The aesthetic of this new robot is closer to Agility's Digit and Apptronik's Apollo, and it has a softer, more cartoonish design.
Pratt revealed that the project is still in its early stages. Their current plan is to begin pilot testing of the electric Atlas at Hyundai's facilities in early 2025.
"Full production is still a few years away. "We will start experimenting at Hyundai's field next year." To be successful, you need not only cool technology, but also a real understanding of the use cases and ensuring that investing in robots will bring enough productivity. ”
Boston Dynamics has once again sparked a discussion in the robotics industry.
Jim Fan, senior research manager and head of embodied intelligence at NVIDIA, said after watching the video of the electric Atlas: We are so obsessed with "human-grade" robotics that we forget that this is just an artificial limitation. Why don't we create a new species that surpasses humanity from the start?
Image credit: Jim Fan Social Media
This time, Boston Dynamics also broke the convention and did not change the name of Atlas on the road to commercialization. Back then, the SpotMini became the Spot, the Handle became the Stretch, but the Atlas was still the Atlas.
is like the lines in Zhao Benshan's sketch: Your uncle is still your uncle.
2. The advent of a new era
Atlas,源自希腊神话中托举天空的神。
Originally funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Hydraulic Atlas is primarily used for rescue missions in complex environments. The design and functionality of the robot is also constantly being updated, including the ability to run, jump, and perform a variety of gymnastic movements.
From this technology iteration and strategic adjustment, it is speculated that Boston Dynamics wants to focus more resources on the next generation of automation technology. The hydraulic system, while powerful, has been criticized for its high cost and noise, and the pre-programmed movements, which greatly limit the potential applications of the Atlas, while the hydraulic system is more bulky and difficult to maintain.
With the blessing of a number of AI products such as large models, robot companies are gradually leapfrogging to higher-level embodied intelligence companies, and the hydraulic Atlas is particularly lonely under the iteration of technology.
In a way, Boston Dynamics' change represents the end of an era in the robotics industry and heralds the rise of more practical and economical robotics.
Previously, when Tesla's Optimus robot debuted, Elon Musk sketched a blueprint for an all-round robot: a robot that can work around the clock in a factory and help you buy groceries and cook. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?
But robotics needs to move forward one step at a time.
While the industry has begun to explore versatile, general-purpose humanoid robots, most systems are still dealing with simple tasks such as moving items from point A to point B. For robots to be truly versatile, a wider range of intelligence is needed.
The app store model seems to offer an option, but Pratt said Boston Dynamics doesn't plan to let Atlas go that route, "We're going to focus on developing specific apps rather than creating an open platform." Our experience has taught us that focusing on solving a specific problem allows us to move faster rather than waiting for someone else to solve it. I strongly believe that AI has a key role to play here, and it will support a variety of tasks. ”
Boston Dynamics recently opened up Spot's reinforcement learning algorithm to developers, which could be the foundation for further development of Atlas' skills.
For humanoid robots to be successful, Platt explains, they need to be able to do more, "Humanoid robots should be able to perform a variety of complex tasks. You have two hands and should be able to grasp complex and heavy objects, which a simple pick-up robot can't do and requires thousands of repetitions. I think robots that can only do a single task are outdated, and Stretch is probably the last machine app to move only boxes. ”
What will the new Atlas do? In a video released in February, a footage of the hydraulic version of the Atlas interacting with a car's shock absorber, which is also one of the Hyundai car parts that Pratt previously mentioned, may provide the answer.
"We have a deep background in dynamic loading, which means that our ability to carry heavy loads while maintaining a high level of maneuverability will be a big advantage for us," Pratt said. The shock in the video weighs about 25 pounds. Our upcoming video will show Atlas doing more hands-on tasks. I don't see any other company doing that. ”
The key word in the technology industry in 2023 is "big model", and this year "embodied intelligence" has become one of the keywords.
In March of this year, OpenAI partnered with humanoid robot startup Figure to launch the Figure 01 robot, which took the Internet by storm with a 2-minute and 35-second video in which Figure 01 demonstrated an amazing ability to understand, judge, act, and self-evaluate.
That's what OpenAI and Figure have been working on for 13 days. Previously, Figure had raised about $675 million in funding from giants such as Amazon founder Bezos, Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft, valuing the company at $2.6 billion.
As technology continues to advance, the adoption of embodied intelligence is expected to accelerate. According to Goldman Sachs' forecast, under an ideal state, if the software and hardware of robots can achieve major technological breakthroughs in the short term, the market size of humanoid robots is expected to reach $154 billion by 2035, with a growth rate of 94%. In an optimistic scenario, shipments of humanoid robots could reach 1 million units by 2035.
Boston Dynamics isn't turning too soon, but it's like the new Atlas turning 180 degrees – it's nimble and amazing.
Before the tears of the people said goodbye to the hydraulic Atlas, they were full of new expectations.
*Max has been changed at the request of the interviewee
（封面图来源：Boston Dynamics）