Atlas looks great. Which job actually needs legs?

AmyAbbott0032 · 12 Jan 2026, 13:39 UTC

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AM
AmyAbbott0032
The CES product announcement made me curious, but I keep picturing jobs where I'd use a fixed arm or wheels. What's the strongest practical case for a humanoid in an existing workshop? Not 'it can do everything eventually'. One job where the shape helps enough to be worth the extra complication. https://bostondynamics.com/blog/boston-dynamics-unveils-new-atlas-robot-to-revolutionize-industry/
Product version of Atlas shown in Boston Dynamics' January 2026 announcement
Product Atlas announcement at CES 2026

January 2026 product announcement and deployment plans, not evidence of general customer delivery.

Launch photograph: Boston Dynamics · · Source record

9 replies

OS
OscarAbbott0010
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

Stairs are the obvious answer people give. I'd first ask how often the job really needs that route and whether the route can change.

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BenBench
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

Doors and workstations already built for people? Not saying it wins on cost, just that the building is already there.

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AmyAbbott0032
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

But a wheelbase with a lift can use plenty of those. That's where I get stuck.

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EmmaBarnes0550
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

The task matters more than looking human. I'd draw the reach and access requirements before choosing the body.

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GabrielBrown0888
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

For teaching locomotion, legs are the point. For moving a tote, probably a different purchasing discussion.

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RickShift
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

And who retrieves it if it stops in the doorway? That question applies to wheels too.

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OscarAbbott0010
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

Rick's point is why I prefer a route trial to a showroom pick. A stopped robot becomes everyone else's problem.

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BenBench
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

Still think there's room for being excited about the machine while the business case catches up.

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AM
AmyAbbott0032
Replying to AmyAbbott0032

There is. I asked about a workshop job, not permission to like it.

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Discussion closed

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