Boston Dynamics' Handle: the hybrid robot that investigated mobility
Boston Dynamics created Handle as a research platform to explore a singular approach to robotic mobility. This now-retired robot fused a wheel system with a pair of articulated legs, representing an advanced experiment to solve how to move in complex environments. 🤖
A locomotion system with two operating modes
Handle's main innovation lay in its ability to transition between two ways of moving. On flat surfaces, it rolled efficiently and quickly using its wheels, allowing it to conserve energy. When detecting an obstacle, a step, or uneven terrain, it activated its articulated legs to overcome it.
Actions it could perform with its legs:- Jump to clear level differences or gaps.
- Climb or descend steps while maintaining stability.
- Adjust its posture to balance on unstable terrain.
Handle tested how to fuse distinct locomotion principles into a single machine, a monumental engineering and software challenge.
The legacy of a retired prototype
Although Boston Dynamics stopped manufacturing and actively developing Handle, the project was crucial. It served as a testbed for studying the challenges of controlling a hybrid platform and for managing energy consumption in dynamic movements.
Knowledge it contributed to future robots:- Valuable data on dynamics and balance in complex systems.
- Advances in algorithms that control the transition between movement modes.
- Direct experience in integrating hardware (wheels and legs) with control software.
From research to robotic iconography
Handle left a memorable mark, especially for its iconic video in a warehouse, where it manipulated and transported boxes with surprising fluidity. This demonstration, which made automated logistics seem simple, hid the immense technical complexity required. Its development was a fundamental link in the evolution of Boston Dynamics' robots, testing concepts that were later refined in subsequent models. 🧩