Atlas teams head for DARPA Robotics Challenge

(Phys.org) --December 20 is a big day for teams competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge. The idea is to promote critical improvements in what robots can do to help out in disaster relief efforts, when human intervention is unsafe and time is of the essence, such as nuclear power plant disasters, oil spills, and wildfires. The challenge is for robots to be agile and responsive enough to move through such disaster zones and do needed rescue tasks. Ente...