--- title: "Watch Boston Dynamics’ Humanoid Robot Do Actual Parkour" description: "Robot maker Boston Dynamics released a video of humanoid robot 'Atlas' performing parkour. Watch the robot parkour video here." date: "2021-08-17" modified: "2021-08-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/boston-dynamics-atlas-robot-parkour" categories: - "Boston Dynamics" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "atlas robot" - "boston dynamics" - "the digest" --- # Watch Boston Dynamics’ Humanoid Robot Do Actual Parkour ![Robot maker Boston Dynamics has released its latest video of its two-legged pioneer called Atlas performing some impressive parkour.]() *\Image: Boston Dynamics\* ## Robot Parkour Robot maker Boston Dynamics has [released the latest video]() of its two-legged humanoid robot, called Atlas, performing daring stunts. In the video, a pair of Atlas robots can be seen performing some impressive parkour, leaping over chasms, jumping over uneven terrain, and finishing up with a casual back flip. At one point, Atlas even vaults over a board using one of its arms to steady itself. It all feels intensely choreographed — perhaps not exactly what the forefathers of parkour had in mind. It's "free" running, but within the constraints of computer code. https://youtu.be/tF4DML7FIWk ## Agility Stat The robot maker has shown off the athletic prowess of its Atlas robot on a number of occasions, from going for a [cool jog in the garden]() to [busting some impressive dance moves](). And now, Atlas is gunning for the rooftops. Although whether Boston Dynamics is planning to allow its robot to perform *real* parkour stunts, leaping from roof to roof, seems unlikely. In a separate video released today, the company gives us a behind the scenes look at the development of the five-foot and 190-pound robot, the "culmination of over a decade of hydraulic humanoid robotics work," according to team lead Scott Kuindersma. https://youtu.be/EezdinoG4mk Rather than a spontaneous excursion, Atlas' parkour chops had to be preprogrammed. But of course, humans often plan out parkour routines as well. "It’s not the robot just magically deciding to do parkour, it’s kind of a choreographed routine, much like a skateboard video or a parkour video," Benjamin Stephens, control lead for Atlas, explained in the video. It's perhaps unsurprising that Kuindersma believes that some 20 years from now our lives will be filled with robots that can move "with grace, reliability, and work alongside humans to enrich our lives," as he said in [a statement](). "But we’re still in the early days of creating that future," he added. "I hope that demonstrations like this provide a small glimpse of what’s possible." **READ MORE:** [Boston Dynamics shows how bipedal Atlas robot flips, vaults, and falls over in latest videos]() \[*The Verge*\] **More on Boston Dynamics:** *[Hawaii Cops Spent COVID Relief Funds on Robot Dog]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()