October 4, 2013 at 10:20ATLAS robot learned to walk on boulders and keep balance while standing on one leg
DARPA demonstrated the next achievements of the humanoid robot ATLAS . The robot confidently walks along a scattering of stones up to several tens of centimeters in size and balances on one leg, withstanding quite strong shocks. The ATLAS robot was built by Boston Dynamics - the creator of such well-known robots as BigDog, Cheetah, SandFlea, Petman. DARPA intends to use ATLAS for operations in hazardous conditions, such as during rescue operations during fires and natural disasters. Similarity to humans will allow the robot to use tools, equipment and vehicles intended for humans.
In addition to the hardware platform, DARPA sponsors the creation of software for ATLAS on a competitive basis. So, in the summer of this year , the next stage of the competition ended - the competition of robots in virtual reality. The teams had to program the robot to perform a series of typical tasks inside the Gazebo simulator - get into a car and drive an obstacle course, go through rough terrain, attach a fire hose to a crane in the wall and open the valve. In December, the next stage will take place, the participants will have to pass the obstacle course on the real ATLAS robot.
In addition to the hardware platform, DARPA sponsors the creation of software for ATLAS on a competitive basis. So, in the summer of this year , the next stage of the competition ended - the competition of robots in virtual reality. The teams had to program the robot to perform a series of typical tasks inside the Gazebo simulator - get into a car and drive an obstacle course, go through rough terrain, attach a fire hose to a crane in the wall and open the valve. In December, the next stage will take place, the participants will have to pass the obstacle course on the real ATLAS robot.