Last Christmas, Boston Dynamics uploaded a Christmas greeting on social media: its latest electric robot, Atlas, dressed in a Christmas outfit, performed a backflip, bending its knees and squatting slightly, flipping into the air, and landing smoothly. The entire routine was incredibly smooth.
In fact, the previous generation of hydraulic Atlas, invented by Boston Dynamics, had already mastered the backflip. The electric Atlas inherits the hydraulic Atlas's explosive power and smooth power transfer, while also being slimmer and more human-like.
However, the first to perform a standing backflip was the electric-powered humanoid robot from Unitree Technology H1. Standing 1.8 meters tall and weighing 50 kilograms, Unitree mastered the technique with pinpoint accuracy.
Interestingly, a year after Unitree Technology announced mass production, the Unitree B2-W robot dog received an upgrade, unlocking more skills and releasing a nearly two-minute live video demonstrating the feat. In the video, the robot dog, seemingly showing off its skills, demonstrates numerous maneuvers, including a double pivot followed by a triple-and-a-half inverted pivot, high-speed four-wheel rotations, side flips, and obstacle courses. It can also navigate rough terrain, such as rocky terrain and forests, and even walk through water.
The Unitree B2-W is an industrial-grade wheeled robot dog developed by Unitree Technology. It weighs approximately 75 kg and has a maximum payload capacity of 120 kg when standing, and over 40 kg when walking continuously. It is one of the fastest industrial-grade quadruped robots on the market, reaching speeds of up to 20 km/h and boasting impressive endurance.
It also boasts comprehensive improvements in perception capabilities, integrating with a variety of sensors, such as 3D lidar, depth cameras, and optical cameras. Combined with perception and motion control, it can handle a variety of discrete terrain challenges, including stairs, slopes, and obstacles.
The B2-W also features interchangeable wheels and feet, allowing it to flexibly navigate a variety of terrains, including grass, cobblestone paths, and gravel roads. It can even easily carry a load uphill or downhill, even navigating winding dirt roads with a 40kg barbell on its back as if it were flat ground.