Boston Dynamics has announced a partnership with Google’s AI research lab, Google DeepMind, to advance the development of their next-generation humanoid robot, Atlas. The collaboration aims to imbue Atlas with more human-like behaviors and capabilities.
Google DeepMind’s AI foundation models will play a crucial role in this endeavor, with Boston Dynamics leveraging this technology to enhance Atlas’s abilities. Carolina Parada, senior director of robotics at Google DeepMind, emphasized the goal of creating the most advanced robot foundation model to effectively meet diverse human needs.
The integration of Google DeepMind’s cutting-edge AI models with Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robots represents a significant leap forward in robotics research. Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics, designed to enable robots to perceive, reason, use tools, and interact with humans, serves as the foundation for this collaboration. The Gemini Robotics AI model, based on a multimodal generative AI model, Gemini, underscores the focus on generalizing behavior across various robotics hardware.
With Boston Dynamics already boasting successful products like Spot and Stretch, which are operational globally, the collaboration with Google’s AI research lab marks a strategic move towards scaling up real-world applications. The announcement of the humanoid robot Atlas entering production and heading to a Hyundai factory underscores the tangible progress resulting from this partnership.
During the press conference, Alberto Rodriguez, director of Atlas, showcased a prototype of the robot’s advanced mobility capabilities.
Source: TechCrunch