Hyundai to buy 'thousands' of Boston Dynamics robots

Summary

Hyundai Motor Group plans to implement Boston Dynamics’ robot line, including its Atlas humanoid, Spot quadruped, and Stretch trailer-unloading robots. | Source: Boston Dynamics Boston Dynamics Inc. and Hyundai Motor Group yesterday announced plans to deepen their partnership, which includes Hyundai purchasing “tens of thousands” of robots in the coming years. The automaker will also help Boston Dynamics grow by integrating its manufacturing capabilities with Boston Dynamics. Hyundai said it is already deploying Spot robots for industrial inspection and predictive maintenance at its facilities. The Seoul, South Korea-based company plans to deploy Atlas across its factories. “Boston Dynamics and robotics AI will play a crucial role in achieving the group’s goal,” stated Jaehoon Chang, vice chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “Physical AI and humanoid robots will transform our business landscape to the next level. Through our collaboration, we will expedite the process to achieve leadership in the robotics industry.” Last week, Hyundai Motor Group announced that it will invest $21 billion in the U.S., including a $6 billion investment to drive innovation and expand strategic partnerships with U.S. companies. Earlier this year, Boston Dynamics announced new partnerships with NVIDIA, Google Deepmind, the Toyota Research Institute, and sister company, the Robotics & AI Institute (RAI), to work on improving its robots. Boston Dynamics released an electric version of its Atlas robot in April 2024. At the time, the Waltham, Mass.-based company said it would begin testing Atlas with Hyundai and other select partners in 2025. The updated legged robot earned Boston Dynamics a RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award. Humanoids race to real-world deployments VIDEO When Atlas is officially working in Hyundai facilities, Boston Dynamics will join a small group of humanoid developers that have begun commercial deployments. The humanoid robot market has grown increasingly crowded in recent years....