Watch Atlas go through a push test before DARPA's Robotics Challenge

The DARPA Robotics Challenge finals is scheduled for June 5th to 6th, and we'll bet the finalists are now pulling all-nighters finishing up their entries. Team IHMC Robotics from the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, for instance, is working to further improve its Atlas-based machine called Running Man. In the video below the fold, you'll see the team demonstrate its fall avoidance and push recovery technique. If you recall, DARPA's contest is specifically looking for humanoid machines for disaster relief and search-and-rescue operations. We've got a feeling those types of robots won't be operating under the best conditions, so the ability to withstand outside forces will surely come in handy.