We already got a peek at Boston Dynamics' latest robot thanks to a leaked video, but now the Alphabet-owned firm is ready to officially introduce the world to its new rolling nightmare.
Dubbed Handle, the research bot is taller and more athletic than most humans, with a body that morphs like a Transformer. It stands 6.5 feet tall, can travel at 9 miles per hour and jump four feet in the air.
Boston Dynamics on Monday posted a video of Handle in action. Check it out below to see the robot buzzing around a warehouse, doing spins like an ice skater, traversing uneven surfaces, doing squats, picking up and transporting 100-pound crates, and jumping hurdles.
One might think stairs might trip up Handle, given that it's got wheels on the end of each leg. Not so. The thing handles stairs like a pro. Then, after conquering stairs, Handle can be seen in the video rolling down a snow and slush-covered hill, all while keeping its balance.
The robot "uses electric power to operate both electric and hydraulic actuators, with a range of about 15 miles on one battery charge," Boston Dynamics wrote in the video's description. "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."
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Boston Dynamics added that the combination of wheels and legs gives Handle "the best of both worlds."
"Wheels are efficient on flat surfaces while legs can go almost anywhere," they wrote.
We first got a look at Handle earlier this month when venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson posted a video of the robot captured during a live presentation to investors.