Boston Dynamics retires hydraulic Atlas and unveils electric humanoid version

On 16 April 2024, US robotics company Boston Dynamics announced the retirement of the hydraulic Atlas, the humanoid research robot it had developed and refined for about a decade. A day later, the company unveiled a new, all-electric version of Atlas.

The hydraulic Atlas had become well known for videos showing it running, jumping, doing backflips and performing parkour. It was a research platform, however, and its fluid-powered actuators were complex and costly to build and maintain. The new electric model was presented as a product designed for real-world applications, with industrial and logistics settings such as factories and warehouses in mind.

In a short video, the electric Atlas rose from lying on the floor in an unusual way, folding its legs and turning its torso and head before standing and walking toward the camera. The motion showed a range of movement beyond that of a human body. Boston Dynamics said it would begin testing the robot with a small number of customers, including Hyundai, which owns the company. The announcement marked a shift from showcasing athletic feats to preparing humanoid robots for commercial work.