Boston Dynamics Atlas: Hydraulics vs. Electrics

For 10 years, “Atlas” was a hydraulic beast. It carried a backpack of pressurized oil.

• Pros: Hydraulics are incrediby strong. Small cylinder = Massive Force (Backflips).
• Cons: They are messy. They are loud. They are heavy. If a hose busts, the robot bleeds to death.

The New Atlas (Electric)

In 2024, Boston Dynamics retired Hydraulic Atlas and released Electric Atlas. Why? Batteries and Magnets got better. Modern electric motors have become so torque-dense that they can now do backflips without the oil.

• Silent.
• Clean.
• Stronger. In FTC, we have always been electric. We use tiny 12V motors. It’s cool to see the $1 Million robots finally catching up to our design philosophy!