The Boston Dynamics Atlas robot turns and jumps with parkour in the obstacle course

Is it cool or scary? The Boston Dynamics robot, Atlas, is back to reinforce the humility of humanity. The YouTube robot sensation, renowned for its earlier backflips, now masters the art of parkour, a sports discipline resulting from obstacle training practiced by the army.

The robot's control software uses his whole body (legs, arms and torso) to jump over a log of wood, then climb steps more than a foot tall, all without slowing down. Atlas's computer vision helps him locate visible markers and gain a foothold, according to Boston Dynamics.

Coming from MIT more than a quarter of a century ago, Boston Dynamics was bought in 2013 by Google, which has since sold the robotics pioneer to the Japanese technology conglomerate Softbank for an undisclosed amount.

Boston Dynamics also drew attention earlier this year with the release of a video showing a mechanical dog open a door.

Increasingly sophisticated robots have raised concerns about future implications, including: a robotic work force and be a weapon to wage war.

On a less scary note, Sony's robotic dog, Aibo, was recently published in the United States