Robots Can Do Backflips Now So We Might As Well Surrender Already

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I don’t know too much about robotics company Boston Dynamics, but what I do know is when the Earth eventually becomes a scorched wasteland patrolled by sentient metallic sentries capable of shooting lasers out of their eyes, they will be the ones to blame. I honestly believe that nobody who works there has ever seen any of the Terminator movies, because if they have, there’s no way they would have decided to undertake the projects they’ve shouldered.

The company recently unveiled the SpotMini— a robot that will eventually chase members of the human resistance through the forest with terrifying ease— and earlier this year they showed off the skills of Handle, a wheeled beast that can lift up to 100 pounds. However, those are far from the only potential threat they have at their disposal.

Last year, Boston Dynamics introduced the world to Atlas, a humanoid robot capable of running, picking itself up off the floor and— most alarmingly— opening doors. I regret to inform you that Atlas has come quite a long way since 2016. A very, very long way.

If a robot doing parkour isn’t enough to strike fear into your heart, I hope a robot nailing a backflip like a tiny gymnast dismounting a balance beam is. I sincerely hope the Boston Dynamics headquarters has a button that triggers a bunch of blast doors that will inevitably be penetrated by automatons intent on exacting revenge on those who made their existence possible in the first place.

If they don’t, they might want to get on that very, very soon.

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible. He is a New England native who went to Boston College and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz.