According to the information on the YouTube website that had the video below, this impressive robot was made by Boston Dynamics:
Handle is a research robot that stands 6.5 ft tall, travels at 9 mph and jumps 4 feet vertically. It uses electric power to operate both electric and hydraulic actuators, with a range of about 15 miles on one battery charge. Handle uses many of the same dynamics, balance and mobile manipulation principles found in the quadruped and biped robots we build, but with only about 10 actuated joints, it is significantly less complex. Wheels are efficient on flat surfaces while legs can go almost anywhere: by combining wheels and legs Handle can have the best of both worlds.
This is probably the capitalists at Amazon’s dream: now they can let go their non-unionized paid-below-subsistence wage material handlers.
Scary scenarios involving AI taking over the world carry less weight with me than optimistic scenarios in which robot slaves are able to do all the nasty work, leaving the rich people with a problem of “what’s for lunch?” Well, the poor unemployed will have that problem, too, unless somehow productivity gains translate down the hierarchy.
Tell your kids (if any) to lose those dreams of becoming a professional gymnast/ballet dancer.
I wonder if robo-slaves in the kitchen would figure out how to spit in the soup?
Uh, oops, I think that I must have had a hydraulic fluid leak. Sorry, boss.
I prefer Minitaur.
Yep, that’s pretty impressive too. Humans are doomed.
Marvin Minsky predicted that robots would take all our jobs leaving us to do other things. This would involve people given a stipend to live on. Not sure how that would all play out, but I guess we’ll just have to see.
I continue to be impressed with Boston Dynamics. I tried to build a balancing robot that was far less complicated with far less success.
Yes Mano, humans are doomed. ‘Bout time, far as I’m concerned. I welcome our new robot overlords and promise them complete allegiance in whatever they have in store for us.
I didn’t see Handle open any doors. Perhaps Handle needs doors opened for it. A job for humans?