Top gymnasts such as Simone Biles and Aliya Mustafina may have new competition on the floor - in the form of a robot called Atlas.
US engineering and robotics firm Boston Dynamics says its humanoid creation uses its legs, arms and torso to complete a number of gymnastic manoeuvres that mirror a normal athlete's routine.
The company says it developed the routine much faster than previous efforts, utilising a new optimisation algorithm to translate descriptions of each move into motions while tracking technology on-board Atlas itself allows the robot to smoothly blend manoeuvres together.
Atlas achieves its feats thanks to its lightweight 3D-printed parts, which give it the necessary strength-to-weight ratio to move with agility and precision.
Boston Dynamics are the company behind a range of other robots, including a canine-based model designed to help with sensing, inspection and remote operation.
