Boston Dynamics has released a video of Atlas, a humanoid robot, showing off some new abilities - including acrobatics.

The video shows a construction worker saying he forgot his tools - which is when the robot springs into action.

Atlas picks up a plank of wood, places it on a gap in its path up some scaffolding and proceeds to run up the construction site with a tool bag.

It throws the bag to the construction worker, pushes a block off the scaffolding and flips, landing on the ground.

The video showcases 10 years of work by Boston Dynamics, who have been developing the robot.

What makes the video interesting is that the robot is autonomous, meaning it’s making its own decisions based on its code - rather than pre-programmed.

"It certainly inspires people to say, 'what if we make a robot that does this' and we can start exploring those questions first with Atlas, and if something seems to be working really well and we see some application for it, we can develop that technology even further," Pat Marion, the team’s perception lead said.

While the video is impressive, the robot’s application to real-world construction sites is still a long way off.