Hyundai Motor Group’s robotics affiliate, Boston Dynamics, released a video featuring its humanoid robot Atlas equipped with wheels instead of feet, performing dynamic maneuvers including a 360-degree rotation jump. The company explained that this test evaluates how stably Atlas operates under extreme conditions where motors and whole-body control technologies are pushed to their limits.
In the video, Atlas appeared with a single wheel attached to each of its feet. Gliding smoothly like a figure skater, Atlas leaped into the air from a standing position, executed a 360-degree spin, and landed successfully. Beyond moving freely in all directions, the robot could also balance on one wheel while lifting its opposite leg. The wheeled version demonstrated significantly faster movement compared to its bipedal predecessor.
However, Boston Dynamics stated that the wheeled Atlas is purely a research platform designed to test the performance of drive systems and full-body control technology, with no current plans for commercialization. The company noted that wheeled robots are ideal for verifying motor performance limits because the motors must sustain heavy loads during acceleration, turning, and braking.
Boston Dynamics utilized virtual reinforcement learning to enable Atlas to master the 360-degree rotation jump. As a result, the physical robot succeeded in the jump on its very first try. Andy Woo, an Atlas engineer, shared that watching the robot perform a side dash during the learning phase was particularly impressive, adding that it was exciting to witness the robot autonomously figure out how to navigate using its wheels.
