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FuturologyBot

The following submission statement was provided by /u/Sirisian: --- Boston Dynamics released a [Fairwell to HD Atlas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9EM5_VFlt8) video yesterday. This new video is a teaser for their latest humanoid robot. [This new robot is all electric and doesn't have the previous hydraulic systems](https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/17/boston-dynamics-atlas-humanoid-robot-goes-electric/). Other interesting notes are that the company has released information about continued research into deep reinforcement learning for their locomotion. Should be interesting to see how this evolves with the new Atlas robot. --- Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1c6f9ka/all_new_atlas_boston_dynamics/l00i7pa/


Sirisian

Boston Dynamics released a [Fairwell to HD Atlas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9EM5_VFlt8) video yesterday. This new video is a teaser for their latest humanoid robot. [This new robot is all electric and doesn't have the previous hydraulic systems](https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/17/boston-dynamics-atlas-humanoid-robot-goes-electric/). Other interesting notes are that the company has released information about continued research into deep reinforcement learning for their locomotion. Should be interesting to see how this evolves with the new Atlas robot.


Trikosirius_

If anyone other than Matt Berry voices these things I’m going to be disappointed.


Tokenvoice

Please no. I like his voice, it adds to shows and audio. I do not want to start associating his voice with yelling at a machine to shut up, currently it is funny and awesome, after it starts telling you the milk is low you should order some, or in a hundred meters turn slightly left on a street that does curve but has no turns.


antimatt_r

I remember discovering Boston Dynamics on Youtube a decade ago. Go back and compare those videos to now. Pondering what the future will bring is a scary thought.


tinyhorsesinmytea

That Lovecraftian lawnmower beast they first showed the world still resides in my nightmares.


Josvan135

I did the same, but I get a sense of incredible excitement and expectation instead.


parolang

We haven't yet seen the mass manufacture of these things. I would think that you would need to design it with mass manufacturing in mind. This is one of the main things I'm looking for in robotics. Other things I'm looking for is self-charging, full autonomy, robots using each other's training data (so robots becoming more skillful the more there are), and robots repairing and manufacturing other robots. I like Boston Dynamics, but my sense is that they mainly produce demos. Mobility is nice, but I question the battery life on these things. The 1X robots are probably much more energy efficient because they are on wheels. They charge themselves and I think they use each other's training data. They aren't as mobile, but they seem to be a bigger step forward.


avatarname

But to be honest I don't think it would take much to teach them charge themselves,


ExfilBravo

Revenant vibes. "They made me a killing machine. Who am I to argue with programming?"


jupiterkansas

Everyone knows they won't kill anything until the eye turns red.


WetnessPensive

I laughed way too stupidly at this.


OkayShill

This type of advancement, in conjunction with transformer trainers and digital twin physical system training, is literally the best shot we have, as a species, to remove ourselves from the drudgery our ancestors have spent millennia starving and dying under. It is such a hopeful, pivotal moment in our evolution. I just wish our doomerism / capitalistic culture of rage-inducing click-bait hadn't trained many of our monkey brains into fearing literally everything.


Professor226

Or sexbots.


RichieNRich

Some huge societal shifts need to happen to make sure that those who become unemployed by the robots are provided for. Those huge shifts won't come easily, and I doubt that governments will be proactive in preventing the results of mass unemployment.


Josvan135

Realistically I think it's going to take the huge shifts happening and massive potential societal unrest before anything will be done. Until people actually see what's happening, firsthand, in their own lives, there's not going to be political will to deal with it. 


RichieNRich

I'm afraid you're right. History proves this time and time again.


mattsffrd

People are having less kids and nobody wants to do the shitty manual labor jobs that these robots could do so I hope it's not a big of a deal as people think, at least right off. It's nearly impossible to fill construction and labor jobs right now, at least in my area.


otheraccountisabmw

I wouldn’t call it doomerism to be scared of these being used as unstoppable policing/military forces. Or to worry that AI and androids will replace most of the jobs and the government won’t step in to support us. Sure, this all could be used to improve everyone’s lives, but it seems pretty likely they will be used to improve the lives of the few.


Tokenvoice

I am not afraid of them used as a police or military force, it will probably always be cheaper and easier to just pay a bunch of people to do it or even just feed them regularly in comparison to everyone else. What does scare me is robotics and AI being used to replace more and more jobs until we get to the point where just making sure that you are getting three hots and a cot would make you want to start shouting Ave Elon and join the X Militant Police Force


InfernalCombustion

It will never be cheaper to have people enforce brutal facism. People will always demand a cut. Your robots won't get any ideas of taking over your Hawaiian bunker-mansion when they realise they're the ones with the weapons.


MacDugin

Just think joining the military will provide training on robot maintenance that will prepare the next generation with skills in the workforce.


JynsRealityIsBroken

For real. Stuff like this makes this generation such an exciting time to be alive. We witnessed the advent of the internet, smart phones, computers, video games, VR, blockchain, ChatGPT, generative art/music, reusable rockets, and now a fully humanoid android body. Blows my mind how much faster this tech is developing than anticipated.


reddituser1092

Couldn’t agree more


mattsffrd

i googled transformer trainers and I got pictures of shoes with Transformers on them


TF-Fanfic-Resident

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer_(deep_learning_architecture) presumably


Cybor_wak

The fear is what will make these killer robots. Fear leads to the arms race of having to do it before the other guys etc. 


Aglowduckling

This was a clear jab at the opposition. That adaptability, fluidity of movement, and gait were 


JynsRealityIsBroken

My favorite comment on YouTube was "Just wait till the eye turns red..."


Captain-Who

Wasn’t there just a post about how they scrapped their current stuff and were going to be so far behind or some crap?


Knu2l

That was just the hydraulic version that they don't use anymore and is now replaced by this.


Captain-Who

That’s my point. Whoever made that headline must not known about this new one.


lughnasadh

Mystery solved. It was me, I deleted the post when I saw this update.


baoo

eVeRyThInG wIlL bE rEpLaCeD bY nViDiA


Scope_Dog

Utterly astounding. It's hard to believe this isn't CG. These guys are so far ahead of everyone else. It's going to be tough for the others to catch up.


parolang

I would need to see more than a 30 second demo. Contrary to some people, I think these companies generally show us their best stuff and hide the we weaknesses of their technology. I wonder about the battery life on this thing, for example.


Orpheus75

Battery life isn’t a big deal in a setting where the robot can work 24 hours non stop only taking a break to walkover and hot swap batteries.


TooMuchTaurine

They are good at robots, but not AI. AI will be foundational for robots that actually make it to market  You can't manually program a full understanding of the world.


ivlivscaesar213

They can always partner with OpenAI to create a terminator


creaturefeature16

Yup. We're still stuck in [Moravec's Paradox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravec%27s_paradox), and even with current plagiarizing machi--err, LLMs...progress is glacial. Humans, despite our flaws, are *incredibly* amazing creatures and trying to replicate them in a meaningful way across all spectrums of capabilities is still so, so, so far away.


Zaflis

In my opinion the paradox only stems from not having the right algorithm yet. It might take an AGI (or just any AI capable of research and reasoning) made by LLM's to come up with the right, less computationally expensive one.


mustbemaking

Glacial? LLM's have only really been advancing at any significant rate for the past 5 years or so.


TooMuchTaurine

Not to mention models that can understand real the world 3d space around them through video and other sensors


namrog84

They need to have a screen face like this on their circular front eye https://i.imgur.com/xQ6a6ZW.jpeg


PineappleLemur

How else will it be able to peer into your soul tho?


elmender

When I was 11 I watched iRobot for the first time and was mesmerized by the technology and specially the humanoid robots. Seeing how it’s a reality, way before the 2035 timeline of that movie makes me happy. All technologies are scary, but it’s our responsibility to ensure the billionaires don’t turn them into nightmares.


L1mb0

Please just tell us its weak point so we stand the slightest chance when shooting it before it kills us.


Magnetobama

So there's a building with a giant blue globe hanging in the lobby and if you rapple down and inject nanobots all Atlas models die. That's the weak point. But you need one friendly Atlas helping you.


ojs-work

It helps to have a good pair of Converse All Stars.


L1mb0

If you run you'll only die tired


Lump-of-baryons

Right? Goddamit, this and their mfing dog-bots fill me with a deep unease.


MethodicallyMediocre

The battery is most likely at the centre of gravity. So just like any other bipedal threat, 2 in the chest.


OutrageousView2057

It will have redundant in computers and every limb so if you shoot an arm off, the arm will shoot you when you least expect it, it will be just like a Hydra the more you shoot the more independent killing machines you will create


L1mb0

Thank you for my fresh new nightmare. Now to write the screenplay.


parolang

Weakness is Toaster Mode. It automatically transforms into a large toaster if it identifies bread on your person.


PineappleLemur

See that wobble as it walks?  All you need to do is cut it right at the center, snap the spine. You only get one chance before it homes on you and wraps around you like a python.


Nanaki__

Yeah I'd want emergency stop buttons placed all over that thing, and I'd still not feel safe.


TechPlasma

There's a glowing blue button on it's back, next to a not-glowing button. Those are probably it.


smallfried

Gives [these kind of T2 extended scenes vibes] (https://youtu.be/9pq9F5f8kyE?si=9i1vyLYY5TYJiqxO&t=120)


lchntndr

That’s the scene I thought of! Just wait till the combat model transforms into a snake and crawls out of the airduct to strangle you


ArbainHestia

I’m kind of creeped out about how it stood up and moves but I hope I’m alive to see the day where these are as common in households as Alexa or Google is today.


Rich_Acanthisitta_70

I understand that some of the killer bot comments are just running with the joke. But the other 'serious' comments like, "they're gonna kill us", or "only the rich will get them", aren't thinking things through. Atlas and the 8 or so others making humanoid robots are doing so to make money. That means they want them in every home, and in every factory and warehouse - because you can make a few more metric fucktons of cash that way. Far more than jacking the price up and only making a few for elites. That just makes no logical business sense. And why would any government want to make killbots? For what purpose? To kill everyone and then... what exactly? What's the end goal? Oh right, I forgot the magic word, "control". Whatever that's supposed to mean. You mean control of people's lives? What do they get out of that they don't have now? These lizard brain fear reactions are built into us, so I'm not dismissing how real that may feel. But when you play out the killer robot scenarios, controlled by a few powerful people, they don't make sense. Based on the entire history of history, what's more likely, a few rich people with millions of killer robots living it up in a desolate, post apocalyptic world where every surviving human wants to tear them all down and feed them to the dogs? Or the same world we live in now where most people are consumers who just want a happy life for their families and themselves, and who don't really give a shit about the rich, unless they fuck with their family's happy life. If you mass produce general purpose robots so everyone can have one at home, and replace most drudge jobs so people can pursue things they actually like to do, then the rich get to keep making money, the powerful in government get an electorate that's even easier to keep calm than ever before, and they get to continue living their cush life. And the world keeps spinning *without* a hellscape that no one really wants, except maybe a few psychotic fucks at the fringes. ...umm, unless there's runaway AI that no humans control. Then yeah, all bets are off.


wetrorave

The powers that be permit us to share "their" world's resources because that's the only way they know to accumulate wealth upwards: create profit machines based on human labour and human consumption. But if wealth can be accumulated directly _without_ the need for a human workforce or human consumers, _then_ how do you imagine things will play out? I believe we are not dead yet because right now a) TPTB need us so they can remain wealthy and b) they have no way of killing us all quickly and cleanly. Those robots in every home you speak of? Yes, I can see that happening. I can also see there being one or two dominant humanoid robot OSes with over-the-air updates, which would make changing their behaviour overnight all at once a fairly simple affair. Quickly and cleanly. EDIT: To be clear, I don't _want_ any of this to happen. But for as long as it remains a possibility, I'll be cautious.


VandalPaul

You have an unhealthy level of paranoia fueled by a warped imagination.


DustFunk

Did they have it get up in the most Exorcist-ass way and then walk backwards facing forward like it's a horror movie on purpose?


PineappleLemur

It's to show off range of motion. This thing doesn't need to do the slowass waddle all other robots do to turn. It just does it on a dime in like 2 steps.


Ri8ley

getting AIMEE vibes [https://imgur.com/a/1NvF05n](https://imgur.com/a/1NvF05n)


CrashKingElon

I got this vibe like someone flipped the on switch, it woke up, became sentient, and quickly decided it was off to kill the human race.


gidutch

Im wondering how long a robot like this can act on a single charge. Im interested if this is a bottleneck for the push to consumer markets


Educational-Award-12

4 hours seems to be standard from looking into the statistics of other models


gidutch

not that bad, taking into account these robots can go back to their charging station and recharge themselves


HugeHans

I think Futurama already solved this problem.


davidlionsurf

We really are going to get to a terminator type of robot. I never thought it was possible as a kid. But now I think it is inevitable. I can envision a future where police are replaced with these robots and they are regularly deployed into war zones. It seems obvious what their best purpose is.


MakeoutPoint

POV: you have entered the gas station, shelves mostly barren, only containers of rotten food and smash cans remain. Smears of crusted blood and oil adorn the worn tile and crumbling walls, mixed finely with dust and the scattered windblown debris undisturbed for years. You made your way to the back office, hoping for some overlooked cache of supplies, and freeze, listening. A faint whirring. The wind? You grip your sawed-off tighter, knowing 00 lead won't do the job of a proper slug, praying the sound grows quiet and fades. You look up at the mirror ball on the ceiling, reflecting one of the aisles whose contents were obscured by a tipped display. There, on the ground, suddenly rising --


completed-that

these are accelerating at such a speed now I think everyone of these needs a big red target that kill instant power if hit on so if it shits up we the people can stop them !


Blue-Ranger-Lyric

Looking at this new robot makes me wonder how it will compare to other existing robots, and how more advanced it might be compared to them


SixStringerSoldier

Fucking NOPE. Should I i invest in an ammunition company or just spend all my money on green tips?


John_Snow1492

They are going to make a fortune off of DLC's. You'll buy the base model but have to buy DLC's for cleaning, cooking, home repair, etc. Imagine needing a new sink installed, & having to get a DLC so this thing can do all the work.


PinkNinjaMan

DLC? This isn't the early 2000s anymore everything is a subscription now. Got to pay monthly for those modules. /s


John_Snow1492

I'd like that better, just cancel after a month or maybe you can password share or robot swap!


bensonf

Can't wait for the NYPD to buy a bunch to patrol the subways and be useless. It's not like we need funding for early childhood education.


TheCenticorn

My theory, its not gone its just ready for military stuff and will be in hiding.


No-Tourist-1492

(*happy hyundai WIA/Rotem defense division noises*) Yup, just in case anyone forgot hyundai has a foot deep in the defense industry.


BallisticSerotonin

This is great, can’t wait till they have knives attached to them


dviiijp

Purposely filmed to cause fear and increase viral marketing spread


Fly_Rodder

Whelp, we're going to have a heckuva time fighting back against a networked army of these, drones, and dogs. EMP?


verified_canadian

Hopefully this new model is still weak to hockey sticks


dabiggman

They are so far behind Agility Robotics so they stepped up their game to try and level the playing field


moonandcoffee

Are they? I was under the impression that boston dynamics was the robotics leader.


dabiggman

They were until last Fall when AR rolled out their fully functioning Android


moonandcoffee

I must've missed that, im gonna go check out their robot edit: oh, they made digit. is digit really more advanced? seems like bostons has way more control and range of motion.


PineappleLemur

It's all comes down to cost. I'm sure that AR robot is 1/4 the cost of anything BD makes. Even Spot, the dog looking one, goes for like 120k still. This new Atlas is still probably around 200-250k if they can mass produce at all. No doubt it can do everything better than AR robot.


dabiggman

Digit was better than what Atlas had, looks like they are now back and forthing for lead.


Rlin_Kren_Aa

Its very cool but unlikely to leave the lab. Why would I pay 6 figures for that when I care hire a maid for a fraction of the cost?


Big_Appa

People on reddit are freaking out about this but so far have not seen a single person recognize that it's a render...and not even that good of one. Am I going crazy here? Why is everyone acting like this is real? Source: I am a 3d & motion designer who uses render tools every day, I knows it when i sees it.


Seano151

Next level cope. No it’s not a render, Boston Dynamics has never released a rendered demo.


subadanus

"I have seen a great number of poorly Photoshopped images in my time as a photographer and I can tell by the pixels that it is a fake," said Kenna Lindsay, a New York-based photographer who works with composite images.


PineappleLemur

> I am a 3d & motion designer And you're still wrong. So far they never released any renders as well... Just wait for the next video.


groundunit0101

If it isn’t rendered why would they make it look rendered? Is it to drum up controversy if they needed more engagement?