Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot is now totally bully-proof

For now, a big part of robotics hinges on human engineering. But what happens when a robot proverbially grows its own brain and acts on its volition, perhaps even against humans themselves?

In Boston Dynamics’ latest video, the robotics company showcases Atlas droid, an electrically powered and hydraulically actuated robot.

This bot can perform different and menial tasks, from opening doors, or picking up boxes. But it’s a lot like a human too: it has a knack for stumbling on snow, and it even puts up with its fair share of bullying from its creators themselves.

In the video, Atlas is pushed around until it falls on its face. The robot however gets up from the floor, dusts itself off, and continues along its merry way, because that’s how robots roll.

Atlas’s bounce-back ability is an impressive feat of engineering especially considering the mechanisms needed to bend and pick up objects.

But hopefully future robots are also good at remembering faces, so that when they return to exact revenge on their bullies, they remember everything.