Boston Dynamics showed off the agility of its humanoid Atlas robot at CES this week in Las Vegas — and demonstrated an unnerving degree of freedom of movement that dispels the illusion of a human entity. Key to the demo is that the robot features clever joints that allow for “continuous rotation.” In effect, its hips, wrists, and neck can swivel a full 360 degrees unimpeded. And we can confirm that’s creepy as all hell. | Futurism

Boston Dynamics released a new demonstration video of its Atlas robots navigating a parkour course, complete with synchronized backflips. | CNET

A new video from Boston Dynamics shows its 5-ft-tall, 190-lb humanoid robot Atlas running, doing flips, and leaping over obstacles. The Atlas Team uses parkour to get the robot to develop the same motion and flexibility as a human. 'How do we connect perception to action in a way that both captures long-term goals like getting from point A to point B and short-term dynamic goals like adjusting footsteps and applying corrective forces to maintain balance,' said Atlas team leader Scott Kuindersma.