Inside Boston Dynamics: The Workshop Building Science Fiction Robots
CBS News gets a rare look inside the Boston Dynamics workshop, where engineers build advanced robots like Atlas that balance, run, and jump with human-like agility.
Boston Dynamics opens its Massachusetts headquarters to reveal a workshop filled with robots that move like science fiction creations. Machines trot through corridors, dance, and whirl while human engineers work on the next generation of advanced robotics. Founder Marc Raibert showcases a facility that resembles a futuristic Willy Wonka factory designed for mechanical innovation rather than candy.
The star of the workshop is Atlas, a five-foot-tall, 175-pound robot that performs incredible acrobatic feats. While a human technician steers the machine with a remote control, the robot handles all of its own balance and control autonomously. Onboard computers, sensors, and a gyroscope allow Atlas to adjust its legs and forces instantly to stay upright.
Engineers design these machines to navigate the world with the ease of humans and animals, even building them to withstand physical pushes from any direction. The underlying software continuously makes micro-adjustments to keep the robot stable, much like a human reflexively catching their balance. This blend of human guidance and autonomous decision-making represents a massive leap forward in robotic mobility.