Remember this day, for it marks the end of humanity as we know it. Ok, so that may be a tad hyperbolic, but watching footage of Boston Dynamics’ new creation is just as scary as it is mesmerizing. Any fan of the Terminator series can see the writing on the wall – this is the beginning of the end, right? Not to worry, says the team behind Handle: a new bipedal robot currently pushing the boundaries of engineering mechanics.
It’s a two-wheel marvel that stands at a menacing 6′ 5″ and boasts insane hops, leaping into the air and onto elevated surfaces with ease. But why are we investing time and money into creating unstoppable gear-filled titans? Well, this catalyst of the future robotic uprising was harmlessly birthed out of the lab in an effort to advance productivity. So, we can all sleep well at night knowing that before Handle was out enforcing the nightly curfew in our forthcoming nightmare future, it was just trying to help us out!
In an interview with The Guardian, Handle’s developers state that its streamlined frame makes the robot much more efficient than others in its class. “Handle uses many of the same dynamics, balance and mobile manipulation principles found in the quadruped and biped robots we build but with only about 10 actuated joints, it is significantly less complex. Wheels are efficient on flat surfaces while legs can go almost anywhere: by combining wheels and legs, Handle can have the best of both worlds.”
The robot’s masterminds, Boston Dynamics, work under Google, so don’t act surprised when you see this monster being utilized in the near future. What will it do, besides prompt us to build doomsday shelters? We aren’t entirely sure yet, but in the meantime, it’s pretty sick to watch Handle pop some mad wheelies. Check out the robot’s demo presentation below, via YouTube.
