While ordinary mortal robots are working modestly in factories, their famous colleague Atlas continues to impress the world with acrobatic tricks. A recent interview with IEEE Spectrum with Scott Kuinders, head of the Atlas development team, revealed interesting details: it turns out that this humanoid robot does not just jump and tumble for the entertainment of the public — it is being prepared for serious work.

With almost parental pride, Quindersma talks about the achievements of her "child": Atlas is now able to carry heavy objects, climb stairs, and even regain balance after being kicked — a skill that many people could use on a Saturday night. Special attention is paid to the "naturalness" of movements: the robot should move not as a mechanical device, but as a living being. Although, to be honest, few living beings regularly practice backflips with weights in their hands.

The funniest part of the story is the seriousness with which the engineers discuss the robot's ability to "assess the situation" and "make decisions." It sounds impressive until you realize that the main achievement is that the robot does not fall with every gust of wind. Although, admittedly, even this is progress compared to the first versions, which required a perfectly flat floor and constant support from engineers.

Kuinders is modestly silent about how many times Atlas crashed during training, but it can be assumed that the number of unsuccessful attempts is measured in the thousands. It seems that the main job of engineers is not programming, but constantly lifting the robot after another graceful fall.

Of particular interest is the economic feasibility of the project. While conventional industrial robots pay off in months, Atlas remains an expensive toy to showcase the company's capabilities. Although the developers claim that one day it will be able to work in conditions inaccessible to humans - for example, in destroyed buildings after disasters. However, it is not yet clear how a backflip will help in the search for survivors.

However, one can't help but admire the tenacity of Boston Dynamics. While other companies are developing practical but boring robots, they continue to create devices that amaze the imagination, even if their practical application remains questionable. Perhaps this approach will eventually lead to a real breakthrough in robotics.

In the meantime, Atlas continues to entertain the audience with its tricks, casually demonstrating what no other car in the world is capable of. The main thing is that he doesn't decide that a circus career is more interesting than rescue operations.