Boston Dynamics demonstrates wheeled Atlas research robot

Boston Dynamics released a video showing its Atlas humanoid moving on wheels using a combination of classical motor control and reinforcement learning. The research robot rolls on flat terrain and uses articulated leg motion over obstacles or irregular surfaces, demonstrating behaviors trained in simulation and then executed on hardware, according to controls engineer Andy Wu. A custom adapter attaches an off-the-shelf scooter rim to each existing ankle actuator. The company describes the wheeled Atlas as a research testbed. Wu next intends to investigate how its control policy responds to failed actuators.