Atlas robot remains as a favorite for the finale of the DARPA Robotics Challenge

Atlas Robot (atlas robot) pass by "overhaulin” complete (basically a complete redesign of its composition) and remains at the forefront of the world competition for the creation of the first fully autonomous humanoid robots.

O DARPA Robotics Challenge Finale is scheduled for June 2015. The challenge is a kind of prize for the first team that manages to create and demonstrate a fully autonomous humanoid robot capable of performing all the tasks determined in the contest rules.

Competitors must:

1. operate autonomously, without any umbilical cabling;
2. to recover, without external assistance, from falls, as well as, being stuck in an obstacle, to be able to free oneself from it;
3. be able to function on its own in the event of a loss of communication.

The main objective of this race is to promote the creation of machines capable of acting in search and rescue situations, since its conception was due to the inability to react during an accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan.

Earlier version of Boston Dynamics Robot Atlas

The robot, manufactured by the American company Boston Dynamics, famous for other inventions, among them a four-legged robot called “Bulldog” dedicated to carrying heavy materials and supplies on the battlefields.

From the earlier humanoid, only the lower legs and feet were retained. The new version, called Atlas Unplugged, got rid of external cables and now comes even closer to the ideals proposed by the competition.

With the use of lighter materials for his body, the team was able to add a battery of 3.7kWh lithium ion, offering battery more power to the set. Now he is able to walk for an hour, among other activities. Its creators also added a wireless router for communication, the pulses were improved to be able to run even further and an upgrade tripled its decision power and sensory processing.

Source: engadget