Google-Owned Company Releases Another Creepy Robot-Abuse Video
BOSTON (CBS SF) -- The robotics arm of Google released video of the latest generation of its bipedal humanoid robot called Atlas this week, and it once again may leave viewers wondering why the company's scientists insist on abusing their robotic creations on camera.
The over two-minute clip posted on YouTube is ostensibly to show off the capabilities of the new Boston Dynamics robot Atlas, but before long, things get a little dark.
Atlas is seen standing in a line-up of the company's other anthropomorphic machines before it walks out of their Fourth Avenue office in Waltham, Massachusetts, and through a wooded, snowy landscape. The robot manages to stay upright and maintain its balance despite the snow and uneven terrain, even after stumbling for a moment.
According to the post, Atlas is electrically powered and uses sensors in its body and legs to balance. LIDAR and stereo sensors in the robot's head help it avoid obstacles, assess terrain and manipulate objects.
The clip continues with footage of Atlas picking up two boxes stacked on the floor and placing them on two different shelves. It's here that it also takes a strange turn towards some android bullying.
The video also touches on what some people decried as "robot abuse" in earlier clips showing the functions of the quadruped robot developed by Boston Dynamics where technicians were seen kicking and pushing the four-legged robot to show their stability.
In this video, a Boston Dynamics worker is seen knocking box out of Atlas' "hands" and pushing the robot in the chest with a hockey stick before using it to keep the box out of the robot's reach. The clip concludes with the same worker shoving Atlas from behind with a heavy cardboard tube, causing it to fall flat on its face before picking itself back up and, not surprisingly, walking away from the abusive human.
Given the advances being made in artificial intelligence, one has to wonder if future iterations of Atlas might one day take offense to these videos if they come across them on YouTube.
According to text accompanying the YouTube video, Atlas is designed to operate both outdoors and indoors and "is specialized for mobile manipulation."
This version of Atlas is about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds.
