- On Facebook, several Internet users relayed images of a robot capable of fighting. According to them, the robot could soon replace police officers.
- The video - which originally came from TikTok - was never published by the company behind this robot, but was created by a motion designer.
- The robot "Atlas" exists, but it has many other features than fighting.
With the acceleration of artificial intelligence and new technologies, every profession fears its disappearance. How many times have the question been asked to a journalist for example: "But you are not afraid of being replaced by a robot? ". Other professions also take it for their rank, for example police officers.
On Facebook, a viral video claims that police officers could be "sacrificed by new technologies." In the video that accompanies the post, we see a white robot armed with arms and legs that appears to be trained to fight... against demonstrators, for example? According to other netizens, this would be a sign of a future total control of the machines against robots who would now have new skills in martial arts and combat.
However, these robots, which would be manufactured by "Boston dynamics", were never designed for the police and even less to fight. 20 Minutes explains why.
FAKE OFF
On Boston Dynamics' TikTok account, we find a trace of this robot that would potentially replace police officers in the future. This is "Atlas", a humanoid manufactured by Boston Dynamics, an American company specializing in robotics.
According to an article in Sciences et avenir, published in February 2017, the machine would be able to lift heavy loads, but also to increase its speed and make leaps... it doesn't matter what ground it is in. The article recalled, however, that the technology was struggling to be commercialized.
More recently, in January 2023, Boston Dynamics communicated on the usefulness of its robot to help for example on a construction site. On the video, we see "Atlas" skillfully carrying loads to bring a bag to a worker.
No official account on TikTok
If on its social networks, the company Boston Dynamics is very active to publish the latest news of its robots, everything suggests that the video published on TikTok in question does not really come from the company. On its website, Boston Dynamics communications point to several networks (YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter), but no trace of the Chinese social network.
What's more, the robot is much faster on the video in question than on the images displayed by the brand. And the company never showed that "Atlas" knew how to fight.
The work of a motion designer
The work of a motion designer was published by a user, named Wayne Ryan Thompson. On the social network, the video where the robot punches has for example been liked nearly 67,000 times since its publication at the end of March. Other videos with the same robot show other features. For example, he would be able to run, pivot or fight. Except that Wayne Ryan Thompson, according to his portfolio, is a motion designer and photographer.
@wayneryanthompson
Test 1: Joint weights are off. Tracking appears stabilized #bostondynamics #robot #bostondynamics_robots #cgi #vfx #3d
♬ Oh No - Kreepa
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Moreover, a clue alerts Internet users. Under the videos, we can find the hashtag "#3d", "cgi", or "vfx". These are, respectively, 3D animation, computer-generated imagery and cinematic special effects created using computer animation and computer graphics programs.
The work of a motion designer
Contacted by "20 Minutes", Wayne Thompson explains that he came up with the idea for these videos after watching the video "Bosstown Dynamics" of Corridor Crew on YouTube. "I'm a big fan," he admits. "I felt inspired to create my own video using only my iPhone and computer." Arming himself with his phone during his walks in the forest, Wayne Thompson began by recording footage in 4K. "The movement of the camera is wavy because it allows the motion tracking software to follow points cleanly in 3D space," explains the specialist.
Once home, the motion designer imports the images on his computer and uses several features including motion tracking and model management. On Adobe Motion Capture, for example, he can choose a combat position. Then working on lighting, Wayne Thompson was able to animate his robot thanks to another software, Octane Render. "I calibrated both the animation and the original footage, trying to get the closest color and lighting matches. I added lens distortion and dirt effects to make the animation look more natural, and finally, I exported the video file for download," the expert finally adds.
'New risks of harm and serious ethical problems'
In financial difficulty, Boston Dynamics, which belonged to Google, then to SoftBank, was finally bought by Hyundai. In October 2022, the robotics company notably committed not to support the militarization of their products. In a letter shared with other manufacturers, published by the website Axios, Boston Dynamics explained: "We believe that advanced mobile robots will bring great benefits to society as colleagues in the industry and companions in our homes."
The industry adds: "We believe that adding weapons to remotely operated or autonomous robots, which are widely available to the public and capable of navigating to previously inaccessible places where people live and work, raises new risks of harm and serious ethical issues. The militarized applications of these newly capable robots will also undermine public trust in the technology in a way that will harm the enormous benefits they will bring to society. For these reasons, we do not support the militarization of our versatile robots with advanced mobility."
From there to find "Atlas" in the ranks of the police, so we still have a little margin.
- Tech
- By the Web
- TikTok
- Police
- USA