Overview
Built for the DARPA Robotics Challenge (2013–2015), where several teams used it. The smaller, untethered 2016 redesign became famous for backflips, parkour and dance videos. Boston Dynamics retired hydraulic Atlas in April 2024 and replaced it with the electric Atlas.
- Type
- Biped robot · Research & legacy bipeds
- Maker
- Boston Dynamics (USA)
- Released
- 2013
- Price
- Not for sale
- Status
- Discontinued · unavailable
- Best for
- Professionals & labs
- Programming
- No programmability
Price and shipping
DARPA-funded units were provided to DRC teams in 2013
Shipping: Not available. Retired in 2024. Never sold commercially.
Specifications
| Category | Bipeds · Research & legacy bipeds |
|---|---|
| Released | 2013 |
| Country | USA |
| Availability | Discontinued · unavailable |
| Sales | Six Atlas robots built for the DARPA Robotics Challenge (2013) Wikipedia ↗ |
| Jumping Robots | Ranked #9 by jump height |
| Programmability | No programmability |
| Built-in autonomy | Task-level · Carries out multi-step jobs on its own, such as inspections, deliveries or chores |
| LLM support | None · No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one. |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | Camera, Depth camera, Lidar |
| Actuators | Hydraulic / pneumatic |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Proprietary / undisclosed, Laptop / PC as the brain |
| Balance type | ZMP / IK gait |
| Height | 188 cm (2013), 150 cm (2016+) |
| Weight | ~150 kg (2013), ~89 kg (2016+) |
| Compute | Onboard computers (2016+), tethered off-board in DRC version |
| Speed | ~2.5 m/s (est.) |
| DOF | 28 (hydraulic) |
| Sensors | Stereo cameras, lidar (Carnegie Robotics MultiSense), IMU, joint sensors |
| Balance | Model-predictive control with behaviors optimized offline (not learned). Parkour and backflips came from MPC, not RL. |
| SDK | DRC teams wrote their own software, none public later |
Common questions
How much does Atlas cost?
Not for sale. DARPA-funded units were provided to DRC teams in 2013.
Can Atlas be bought today?
No. It is discontinued and no longer sold. Retired in 2024. Never sold commercially.
Who makes Atlas?
Atlas is made by Boston Dynamics (USA). It came out in 2013.
Can Atlas be programmed?
No programmability. DRC teams wrote their own software, none public later.
Does Atlas have AI chat or LLM support?
None. No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
Related guides
- Robot Gaits and Gait Training · how legged robots walk, trot and gallop
- MuJoCo Guide · the simulator used to train walking robots
- ROS 2 Guide · the software framework many robots use
- Robot Vision and Depth Sensors · cameras, lidar and other distance sensors
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