Boston Dynamics’ Atlas can autonomously replace its depleted battery in under three minutes, helping factories extend shifts while reducing downtime and charging delays during industrial operations.
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robot can now recognise when its battery is depleted, return to a designated station, replace the battery in less than three minutes and resume its assigned task. The capability is designed to reduce downtime and support longer operating shifts in industrial environments.
Atlas typically runs for about four hours during normal operation and around two hours under heavy loads. A conventional recharge takes approximately 90 minutes, making autonomous battery replacement a potentially significant advantage for factories running multiple shifts.
The production-ready robot is designed to navigate independently to its battery station, carry out the swap and continue working without requiring a person to intervene. The approach is intended to keep robots operating for longer periods while reducing interruptions caused by charging.
The latest Atlas stands approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 198 pounds (90 kg). It can handle sustained loads of up to 66 pounds (30 kg) and briefly lift as much as 110 pounds (50 kg). Tactile sensing in its hands and a 360-degree camera system help it perceive and respond to its surroundings.
Boston Dynamics has developed Atlas for industrial applications including lifting, moving and material-handling tasks. The robot combines electric actuation, advanced sensing and AI-based control to adapt its movements to changing environments rather than relying entirely on fixed routines.
The company has also been using large-scale simulation to accelerate Atlas’s training. According to the article, simulation systems can run the equivalent of millions of hours of robot training in a single day, allowing behaviours to be developed rapidly before being transferred to the physical humanoid.
The battery-swapping capability forms part of a broader effort to make Atlas suitable for sustained real-world industrial work, where minimising interruptions and maintaining consistent operation are important.
