Absolute Encoders on Atlas?

In this Short, Boston Dynamics Atlas is used as an example of Absolute Rotary Encoders and their benefits in Robotics Applications.

Created by @365robots

[AndersJackson]

If you really, really want binary encoding of this positions, you need to use position encoding holes like the outer ones, but they need to be offseted so reading state are stable, with some clarence.

But this is actually just using up one channel of information for syncing, instead of reading data, by using proper Grey coding. Then you don't need an extra syncing channel, and will gain an extra position channel. As Hrey coding never change more then one bit in any direction the encoding plate will move.

[conorstewart]

There are much simpler and more precise sensors you can use, they are much smaller too. They are magnetic absolute encoders. Even extremely cheap ones have 12 bits of resolution and the whole sensor can be as small as just the size of the magnet and a tiny IC, using them is much easier and better than going to the effort of creating your own optical absolute encoders.

Boston Dynamics is more likely to use magnetic encoders than optical ones.