Boston Dynamics' Robot Went From a Drunk Baby To a Nimble Ninja in a Matter of Years (qz.com)

In a new video from robotics company Boston Dynamics, which Alphabet sold to SoftBank last year, a robot is shown hopping over a log and then up a series of blocks, an activity called parkour. From a report: In previous videos, the robot did a backflip -- now it's leaping over obstacles and climbing up large, uneven stairs with fleet-footed ease. But Atlas wasn't always so graceful. In some of the first videos where Boston Dynamics' robots could walk upright, way back in 2015, Atlas lumbered through the woods, looking like it was narrowly avoiding falling with each step, rather than moving with any kind of purpose.

Comments

Come on - that is not Ninja (or parkour)

[SuperKendall]

If you watch the video it hops over a log, then jumps up a few fairly tall boxes.

While this is technically impressive, it's a long way from Ninja or parkour. It didn't jump ON the log and balance - just over. Nor did it do anything complex like jump against the side of one of the boxes and land flat, maybe after rolling... you didn't even see it jump down from the highest box and do a roll landing on the floor. So basically, not at all what anyone would call parkour...

I wish people would stop over-dramatizing what are real technical feats but end up looking lame after the buildup.

Strobe

[bill_mcgonigle]

Elon says their goal is to be fast enough so that a human can only see their motion clearly with the use of a flash strobe. It's very likely that he knows the right people to be able to say this with some certainty, but the trajectory is rapidly in that direction regardless.

Now, then, arm them with blades, guns, and autonomous AI.

When protesters get a little too forceful, just send out the 'ninjas'. Congress doesn't really have to worry about what laws it passes any more.

https://www.stopkillerrobots.o...