The world's most advanced robot just learnt Parkour

By Matthew Griffin Robo Revolution 18th November 2017

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

Humans evolve at a biological rate, technology evolves at an exponential rate, and ATLAS is improving all the time.

The majority of people like to assume that one day we will live, work and eat alongside robots in perfect harmony in the happy knowledge that we both have flaws. Humans need food, and robots are as nimble and as agile as a drunken panda at a teenagers eighteenth birthday party. But all that was before Boston Dynamics released their latest video of ATLAS, which is arguably the most advanced humanoid robot in existence.

The worlds first slime robot can go places that no other robot can travel

In the past it’s shown off its superior balancing skills, its ability to resist being kicked over by a horrible member of the Boston Dynamics team, and its ability to walk through snow covered woods, but now all that seems like a distant memory because, as you’ll be able to see from the video below our favourite robot has a new trick. Well, several actually – it can do Parkour.

Back Flips, Forward Flips and Face Plants

Yes, forget it flesh bag, you still need food but your robot buddy that you used to laugh at because it couldn’t walk down a slope, or up a single step hasn’t just surpassed you, it’s flipped the tables on you.

Now go and dig into that ice cream tub and cry salty tears, and may I suggest you don’t, I said don’t watch the video of a robot racing nine times world champion Valentio Rossi around the race track.

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Described by NASA as a "Walking Encyclopaedia of the Future" and one of the world’s most in demand keynote speakers Matthew Griffin, Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm, is a multi-award winning Futurist and strategic foresight expert, author, lecturer, mentor, podcast and YouTube host.

With a distinguished career running global business units at Atos, EMC, and IBM today Matthew helps leaders and titans of industry from all over the world explore the impact of the inter sections of technology, culture, and leadership, then helps them create high performance organisations that can continuously disrupt, outpace, and outthink their competition.

15 times author of the hit series the Codex of the Future series Matthew's ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends on global business, culture, and society has earned him a powerful reputation and a roster of clients that include royal households, world leaders across the G7, G20, and G77, and many of the world's most recognised and exceptional organisations including ABB, Accenture, ABN Amro, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi Group, Coca Cola, Deloitte, Dentons, Disney, Dow, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Microsoft, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Nokia, Paramount, PepsiCo, PWC, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, T-Mobile, UBS, Visa, WIRED, WPP and hundreds of others.

Matthew is regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, and his mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.