In a second, behind-the-scenes video, Boston Dynamics’ team lead on Atlas, Scott Kuindersma, explained that the video is “meant to communicate an expansion of the research we’re doing on Atlas.” As ever, it’s important to note that these videos are rigorously planned and structured, with falls and mistakes edited out.“Now, we’re starting to put Atlas to work and think about how the robot should be able to perceive and manipulate objects in its environment.”It’s a notable change in messaging from the Hyundai-owned company, which has never previously emphasized how its bipedal machines could be used in the workplace.Stretch is a wheeled machine with a huge arm designed to move boxes in warehouses, while Spot is a four-legged robot mainly used to carry out surveillance and inspection tasks, acting as a remote CCTV camera or mapping construction sites and factories using 3D scanners.“A humanoid robot will be well suited for applications like manufacturing, factory work, constructions — [places] where a humanoid form factor actually fits very well, with its bi-manual nature, its ability to stand upright, move heavy things around, and work in spaces that were traditionally designed for humans to do work in.”Such robots are not in common use anywhere in the world right now, mostly because their expensive and fragile nature means they’re always worse value for money than human workers.(Musk revealed a prototype of the robot late last year, and experts said that while the company had made speedy progress, it was very far from delivering a breakthrough.)"