What is the Atlas 2013?
The Atlas (2013) is a humanoid research platform developed by Boston Dynamics in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. First unveiled in 2013 for the DARPA Robotics Challenge, it was designed to test dynamic locomotion, balance, and manipulation in disaster response environments. Powered by hydraulics, the 150 cm, 89 kg robot has 50 degrees of freedom and a 3-hour runtime via tether. It lacks full onboard autonomy and is not commercially available; the original prototypes were built in small numbers for DARPA teams. Its development influenced subsequent Atlas generations and other humanoid robots.
Specifications
Here are the full technical specifications.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | 150 cm |
| Weight | 89 kg |
| Degrees of freedom | 50 |
| Battery life | 3 hours |
| Max speed | 9 km/h |
| Payload | 18 kg |
| Price (new) | $39,000 |
| Price (used range) | N/A |
Price & Value
New MSRP: $39,000 (original list, no longer sold)
Used range: N/A
The $39,000 price was for early DARPA collaborators and did not reflect a commercial product. No used market exists as units are held by research labs. Compared to later humanoids like the electric Digit or DRC-HUBO, the Atlas was expensive and limited by tether and hydraulic noise. For historical value, the Atlas represents a milestone but offers no practical acquisition path today. Its total cost of ownership was high due to maintenance of hydraulic systems and the need for external power/compute. As a museum piece or research artifact, its value is primarily historical.
Who Is It For?
Best for: - Historical robotics collections (museum, university display) - DARPA Robotics Challenge researchers conducting retrospective analysis of hydraulic humanoid performance
Not for: - Commercial deployment (no longer produced, no safety certifications) - Industrial tasks (tethered, unrated for human proximity) - Current humanoid research (superseded by modern electric platforms with onboard autonomy)
Alternatives & Comparison
While the original Atlas is not a commercial product, it faced competition from other DARPA Robotics Challenge robots like the NASA Valkyrie and KAIST DRC-HUBO. Modern legged platforms such as Digit represent an entirely different class.
| Model | Price | Available | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valkyrie (NASA JSC) | Undisclosed | no | Electric actuators, lighter frame, space-focused design |
| KAIST DRC-HUBO | Undisclosed | no | Won DARPA Robotics Challenge 2015, electric with unique wheel-mode locomotion |
| Digit (Agility Robotics) | Undisclosed | enterprise-only | Electric legs+arms, designed for logistics and last-mile delivery |
Verdict: For historical interest, the Atlas is iconic; for any practical humanoid research today, the electric DRC-HUBO or modern Digit offer more capable and safer platforms. None of these are available as used units, but the Atlas remains a monument to hydraulic humanoid research and a collector’s item for robotics historians.
Use Cases & Capabilities
DARPA Robotics Challenge trials
Atlas was the platform of choice for many teams in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, used to test disaster response tasks like driving a vehicle, opening doors, and clearing debris. Its hydraulic power provided high torque for heavy manipulation, but the tether limited mobility. Teams developed software for semi-autonomous task execution under degraded communication conditions. The robot’s weight and fall risk were major challenges during competition runs. Despite its limitations, the platform proved invaluable for advancing perception, planning, and control algorithms in unstructured environments.
Dynamic locomotion research
Atlas pushed boundaries in bipedal walking, balance recovery, and jumping. Researchers studied control algorithms for hydraulic actuation under rough terrain and external disturbances. Falls were common, but the robot’s robust mechanical design allowed iterative testing and algorithm refinement. The walking speed of 6 km/h and maximum sprint of 9 km/h demonstrated what hydraulic humanoids could achieve. This work laid the foundation for later untethered Atlas generations that could perform parkour and backflips.
Technology demonstrator
Boston Dynamics used Atlas to showcase humanoid agility to the public and military sponsors, generating interest in legged robotics for logistics and emergency response. The robot’s dramatic videos of walking through snow, lifting heavy objects, and recovering from shoves captured global attention. Despite never being a product, Atlas became a symbol of hydraulic power and dynamic control, inspiring a new wave of investment and research into humanoid robots worldwide. Its demonstrations proved that full-body coordination was achievable without rigid position control, influencing later DARPA programs.
History & Background
Boston Dynamics, founded in 1992 by Marc Raibert at MIT, unveiled Atlas in 2013 as part of the DARPA Robotics Challenge. The original Atlas was a tethered hydraulic humanoid designed to simulate disaster response tasks such as entering hazardous buildings and operating tools. Seven prototypes were provided to DRC teams including MIT, JPL, and IHMC for software development. After the DRC finals in 2015, Boston Dynamics shifted to an all-electric, untethered Atlas Next Generation, and the 2013 version was phased out. The company was later acquired by Google (2013), then SoftBank (2017), and Hyundai (2020), but the original Atlas remains a landmark in humanoid robotics history.
Buying Used — What to Check
Verify unit authenticity Only a small number of original Atlas robots were built, and many were heavily modified by DRC teams — confirm it is a genuine 2013 Boston Dynamics platform.
Check hydraulic system condition Hydraulic pumps and lines degrade over time; leaks or pressure loss can render the robot inoperable without specialized maintenance.
Ensure original tether/compute system included The Atlas relied on an external power and computing tether; without it the robot cannot operate.