For decades, engineers have been trying to create robots that look and act human. Now, rapid advances in artificial intelligence are taking humanoids from the lab to the factory floor. As fears grow that AI will displace workers,a global race is underway to develop human-like robots able to do human jobs. Competitors include Tesla, startups backed by Amazon and Nvidia, and state-supported Chinese companies. Boston Dynamics is a frontrunner. The Massachusetts company, valued at more than a billion dollars, is hard at work on a humanoid it calls Atlas. South Korean carmaker Hyundai holds an 88% stake in the robot maker. We where invited to see the first real-world test of Atlas at Hyundai’s new factory near Savannah, Georgia. There, we got a glimpse of a humanoid future that’s coming faster than you might think.
Hyundai’s sprawling auto plant is about as cutting-edge as it gets. More than 1,000 robots work alongside almost 1,500 humans, hoisting, stamping and welding in robotic unison. This may look like the factory of the future,but we found the future of the future in the parts warehouse,tucked away in the back corner,getting ready for work.
Meet Atlas: A 5’9″, 200 pound, AI-powered humanoid created by Boston Dynamics. The rise of the robots is science fiction no more.
Bill Whitaker: I have to say, every time I see it, I just can’t believe what my eyes are seeing. Is this the first time Atlas has been out of the lab?
Zack Jackowski: This is the first time Atlas has been out of the lab doing real work.
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Zack Jackowski heads Atlas advancement. He has two mechanical engineering degrees from MIT and a mission to turn the robot into a productive worker on the factory floor. We watched as Atlas practiced sorting roof racks for the assembly line without human help.
Bill Whitaker: So he’s working autonomously.
Zack Jackowski: Correct
Bill Whitaker: You’re down here to see how Atlas works in the field, and you’ll be showing Atlas off to your bosses at hyundai?
Zack jackowski: Yeah.
Bill whitaker: Do you feel like a proud papa?
zack Jackowski: I feel like– a nervous engineer.
Jackowski has been preparing for this moment for a year. We first met him and Atlas a month earlier at Boston dynamics’ headquarters just outside the city, where he and his team were teaching
How Boston Dynamics is teaching atlas to Move Like a Human
At the AI Lab at Boston Dynamics, engineers are using a novel approach to teach their humanoid robot, Atlas, new skills: learning from humans. This involves a two-pronged method – teleoperation and motion capture.
Scott Kuindersma explains that a “teleoperator” can control Atlas, guiding its hands and arms move-by-move through each task.If the teleoperator can successfully perform a task repeatedly, the data generated is then used to train Atlas’ AI models to eventually perform the task autonomously.
To demonstrate, Kuindersma had a reporter participate in motion capture. Wearing a special suit, the reporter’s movements – walking, arm gestures, and even exercises – were recorded by sensors.This data was then fed into a machine learning process.
As Atlas’ body is different from a human’s,engineers created over 4,000 digital versions of the robot and trained them for six hours in a simulation to match the reporter’s movements. The simulation also introduced challenges like slippery floors and stiff joints to refine the learning process.
“They’re all trying to do jumping jacks, just like you,” Kuindersma said, showing the virtual Atlases learning. Once a skill is mastered in simulation, it’s uploaded to the AI system controlling all Atlas robots, effectively training them all at once.
Robert Playter, the CEO of Boston Dynamics, spearheaded the company’s humanoid development.He’s been building toward this moment for more than 30 years. The cornerstone was the robotic dog, Spot, introduced almost a decade ago. Spots are trained in heat, cold, and varied terrain, and roam the halls of Boston Dynamics.
Robert Playter: “So we have some cameras-thermal sensors, acoustic sensors. An array of sensors on its back that lets it collect data about the health of a factory.”
Spots carry out quality control checks at Hyundai, ensuring the cars have the right parts. They conduct security and industrial inspections at hundreds of sites around the world. What began with spot has evolved into Atlas.
Robert Playter: “So this robot is capable of superhuman motion, and so it’s gonna be able to exceed what we can do.”
Bill Whitaker: “So you are creating a robot that is meant to exceed the capabilities of humans.”
Robert Playter: “Why not, right? We-we would like things that coudl be stronger than us or tolerate more heat than us or definitely go into a dangerous place where we shouldn’t be going. So you really want superhuman capabilities.”
Bill Whitaker: “To a lot of peopel that sounds scary.You don’t foresee-a world of Terminators?”
Robert Playter: “Absolutely not. I t”