Because the apocalypse can’t come soon enough, researchers at the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition have upgraded Boston Dynamics’ ATLAS humanoid robot with a new balancing algorithm that allows the robot to walk on surfaces that only part of his foot can make contact with. ATLAS determines how to best balance itself by placing one foot on the new surface and shifting its weight around to determine what parts of the foothold won’t support it. It then makes the step while using its upper body’s angular momentum to help maintain balance. So, in conclusion, if anybody asks where you’re going to run and hide from the humanoid robot that’s coming to kill you, “Just on the other side of that rubble,” is no longer an acceptable answer if you actually intend to live.

Keep going for a video demonstration.

Source: Geekologie – Oh Goody: ATLAS Humanoid Robot Upgraded To Balance On Uneven Footholds