Boston Dynamics' next leap: Humanoids built for the real world

Boston Dynamics isn’t building humanoid robots because they’re flashy; they’re building them because they’re necessary. “We humans have designed our world around us,” Aaron Saunders said. “And until we redesign the world, the fastest way to bring robots into it… is to make them more like us.”

Aaron Saunders, CTO at Boston Dynamics, isn’t shy about the ambition behind the company’s latest innovations. “AI by itself on a cell phone is only so useful,” he said in his keynote for the Dutch National Congress on Autonomous Systems. “But if you put AI inside a robot, now you can interact with the physical world.” That’s where things get truly interesting.

Boston Dynamics has long been known for its dynamic robots: Spot, the dog-like robot, and Atlas, the humanoid that flips, dances, and runs. But today, the company is entering a new phase: moving from research icons to real-world applications. And the humanoid robot is at the center of that mission.

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China's Powerhouse Robot Factory

Chinese robotic startup MagicLab has introduced a fleet of collaborative humanoids at a factory for job training.

The humanoids also demonstrate small-scale collaborative operations, showcasing their ability to work efficiently together.

In January, MagicLab unveiled its third-generation humanoid robot, MagicBot, designed to rival Boston Dynamics’ Atlas. By February, a video update showcased the robot roasting marshmallows, performing magic tricks, and dancing.

The firm joins a growing wave of companies deploying robots in industrial settings as China aims to mass-produce humanoids by 2025 and dominate the market by 2027.   READ MORE...

Humanoid Robots will Transform Manufacturing

The global workforce is on the brink of transformation, driven by a new wave of humanoid robots that bring human-like adaptability and intelligence to warehouses, restaurants, homes and even factory floors. The surge of innovation isn’t just confined to a single company; it spans a diverse group of leading robotics firms, each contributing uniquely to this exciting evolution. 

Argon Mechatronics, Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, Figure.AI, Unitree, Agility Robotics, and Tesla are reshaping what’s possible for the next wave of intelligent automation. This is the story of how these advanced humanoid systems are transforming the workforce.

Boston Dynamics, well-known for the viral videos of its dancing, jumping and parkour-savvy robotic creations like Atlas, is now extending its influence to industry. Spot, their quadruped robot, is already being used for industrial inspections, construction site monitoring, and safety operations, showcasing the versatility of robots in challenging environments. 

Spot can be equipped with a variety of accessories, such as the Spot CAM+ for panoramic views and Spot Core for integrating custom applications, making it a useful tool for inspection and automation. The humanoid Atlas, meanwhile, can take these abilities to the next level, extending them to search and rescue and plant and equipment operations.    READ MORE...

Robot Dog Becomes Tour Guide

We saw Spot run, jump, and even dance... but now we can see Spot talk. In a somewhat unsettling video posted by Boston Dynamics, we see its robot dog outfitted with a top hat, mustache, and googly eyes as it chats with staff members in a British accent, taking them on a tour of the company’s facilities.

“Shall we commence our journey?” Spot asks. “The charging stations, where Spot robots rest and recharge, is our first point of interest. Follow me, gentlemen.” As shown in the demo, Spot is capable of answering questions and even opens its “mouth” to make it seem like it’s actually speaking.  READ MORE...

Humanoid Robots in Warehouses

Humanoid robots are on their way to warehouses as companies start to move beyond the disembodied arms, moving trays and other machines aimed at speeding up logistics operations.


Agility Robotics, Figure AI and Boston Dynamics are among companies designing robots more closely modeled on human beings for use in distribution centers. The new machines are being engineered with the ability to walk around warehouses, reach items high on shelves, crouch to put things down and pick up and move boxes, defying some of the physical limits on automation in the industrial world.

The robot developers say their devices will help warehouse operators mitigate labor shortfalls and eliminate the need to redesign warehouses to match the capabilities of machines.

Logistics operators have been adding automation to their warehouses for years to speed up the stacking and retrieving of goods and to take some of the most burdensome, repetitive tasks off workers. Many of the devices are designed to work in concert with employees by taking on tasks such as hauling heavy goods or bringing totes of items directly to workers.  READ MORE...

Humaniod Robot Has Moves

Boston Dynamics, the company known for its robotic dogs, now has a humanoid robot capable of doing gymnastics.

The robotics company previously has shown how its robot dogs can go down stairs and open doors. Some police departments have begun using the robot dogs, typically called Spot, to help patrol. And Atlas, which the company dubbed "the world's most dynamic humanoid," showed in an earlier video how the robot can jog and jump over a log.

In a new video, Atlas now can do parkour – a sport of moving through obstacles – jumping and running along uneven platforms. Then, two humanoid robots do synchronized movements including turning, spinning and two flips, mirroring each other moves.

Having the robots perform parkour sequences including running along a balance beam, jumping and doing flips helps in the development of a robot capable of multiple tasks, “a go-anywhere, do-anything robot of the future," said Scott Kuindersma, leader of Boston Dynamics' Atlas team, in a blog post accompanying the new videos.

"The work that we are doing now is really just foundation building," he said. "We are building the core capabilities that we think any useful robot will need and in doing so we are really just defining the next set of challenges that we are going to be working on over the next two to five years."  READ MORE