Every time I turn on my computer, there is another study or story predicting a future where automation and robotics have claimed all of our jobs. It's undeniable that automation is transforming and, in many ways, improving our world, some advances in the field of robotics can be disturbing, to say the least. Well prepared to horrified, courtesy of a leaked video from Boston Dynamics.
According to James Vincent for the Verge: "The company’s new wheeled, upright robot is named Handle ('because it’s supposed to handle objects') and looks like a cross between a Segway and the two-legged Atlas bot. Handle hasn’t been officially unveiled, but was shown off by company founder Marc Raibert in a presentation to investors. Footage of the presentation was uploaded to YouTube by venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson.
Raibert describes Handle as an 'experiment in combining wheels with legs, with a very dynamic system that is balancing itself all the time and has a lot of knowledge of how to throw its weight around.' He adds that using wheels is more efficient than legs, although there’s obviously a trade-off in terms of maneuvering over uneven ground. 'This is the debut presentation of what I think will be a nightmare-inducing robot,' says Raibert."