Boston Dynamic’s humanoid Atlas robot has learnt to balance
Balancing is a difficult skill and now one robot has mastered it.
Key takeaways
- In the IMHC video below Atlas showcases its new skill, balancing on one foot on a narrow piece of plywood for almost a full thirty seconds, which is way better than a lot of humans.
- Atlas balancing shows off its balancing smarts Perhaps the most striking part of the video isn't the incredibly long time it spends balancing, but the remarkably human like way it tries to regain its balance at the end.
- In a fraction of a second, the robot leans its weight to the side, rotates its torso, and shifts its foot placement.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Boston Dynamic’s humanoid Atlas robot has learnt to balance', 311 Institute, 12 September. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/boston-dynamics-humanoid-atlas-robot-can-balance/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot - the world's most advanced humanoid robot, which previously demonstrated its ability to walk across rough terrain and take all kinds of abuse from its creators has now mastered a new, and even more significant skill - balancing on one foot. And before you scoff that that's not that hard a trick to perform it's once of the hardest tricks for robots to crack and it opens up a host of new applications for robots, from rescue and military work through to waiting tables. Lofty indeed.
As humans we are in the envious position that every second our oversized brains are making hundreds of minuscule adjustments to our posture every second to help us remain up right - think about it. You're never still even when you think you are, and for a robot to master this trick is, until today, unheard of. In the IMHC video below Atlas showcases its new skill, balancing on one foot on a narrow piece of plywood for almost a full thirty seconds, which is way better than a lot of humans.
Atlas balancing shows off its balancing smarts
Perhaps the most striking part of the video isn't the incredibly long time it spends balancing, but the remarkably human like way it tries to regain its balance at the end. In a fraction of a second, the robot leans its weight to the side, rotates its torso, and shifts its foot placement. Not once, but twice.
This is even more remarkable considering that it was only learning how to stand up a few months ago, and considering that even the world's premier robot competition tends to have a lot of falling over. So now hide your sniggers - the robots just took another step up the evolutionary ladder, and no it's unlikely that they'll fall off of it and - least you forget the ATAC's in Star Wars were pretty mean at balancing too, but this time let's hope there are no cables lying around.
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Why does this matter?
Balancing is a difficult skill and now one robot has mastered it.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- IMHC robots.ihmc.us
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 12 September 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Boston Dynamic’s humanoid Atlas robot has learnt to balance. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/boston-dynamics-humanoid-atlas-robot-can-balance/
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