And in this 9 minute video from Boston Dynamics released 12 days ago,
engineers and technicians there talk about some of the challenges they
are concentrating on now.
For example, when a robot goes to move an object it has to know about
its shape, its mass, its center of gravity and so on.
How to lift it up and how to manipulate and carry it, taking into
account how that changes its own equations of motion with respect
center of gravity and moments of inertia.
Carrying a weight-lifters dumbbell or balancing a set of drinks on a tray
without spilling any in the manner of a waiter require the robot to
recognize the objects and then handle them accordingly whilst
maintaining balance and poise.
What's clear from the video is the enthusiasm and excitement of the work
they are doing with people ranging from the experienced to the bright young :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPVC4IyRTG8