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Hyundai Motor Group is set to significantly expand its robotics initiatives through an deepened partnership with Boston Dynamics. The agreement involves Hyundai purchasing “tens of thousands” of robots in the coming years.
Factory Automation with Advanced Robotics
Hyundai plans to integrate Boston Dynamics’ robots, like the Atlas humanoid, Spot quadruped, and Stretch trailer-unloading robots, across its facilities. Spot robots are already being used for industrial inspection and predictive maintenance. The company intends to deploy the advanced Atlas robots across its factories.
Jaehoon Chang, vice chair of Hyundai Motor Group, emphasized the crucial role of robotics and AI in achieving the company’s goals. He stated that “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.”
Strategic Investment and Collaboration
This move aligns with Hyundai Motor Group’s recent announcement to invest $21 billion in the U.S., including $6 billion for innovation and strategic partnerships with U.S. companies.
Boston Dynamics has also formed partnerships with NVIDIA, Google Deepmind, the Toyota Research Institute, and the Robotics & AI Institute (RAI) to enhance its robots. The company unveiled an electric version of the Atlas robot in April 2024 and plans to test it with Hyundai and other partners in 2025.
Humanoids Enter the Workforce
Hyundai’s deployment of Atlas will place Boston Dynamics among the pioneering humanoid developers with commercial deployments. Other companies, like Agility Robotics with its Digit humanoids and Figure AI with its Figure 02 system, are also making strides in this area. Apptronik is testing its Apollo humanoid with Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics.
Goldman Sachs projects the global market for humanoid robots to exceed $38 billion by 2035. Boston Dynamics aims to collaborate with Hyundai to optimize manufacturing processes and boost productivity.
Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, highlighted the significance of the partnership, noting that Hyundai Motor Group will become their biggest customer. He also emphasized that the collaboration will help establish strategic customer relationships for products like Stretch and facilitate multilateral agreements involving robots, trucks, and electric vehicles.
Hyundai acquired Boston Dynamics from SoftBank in 2021 for $880 million.
Robotics Summit & Expo: Insights on Humanoids
The upcoming Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston will feature discussions on humanoids. Aaron Saunders, chief technology officer at Boston Dynamics, will deliver a keynote on the development and capabilities of the electric Atlas robot.
The event will include a panel discussion featuring experts from Agility Robotics, ASTM International, and Schaeffler, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in humanoid development.
The Robotics Summit & Expo is expected to gather over 5,000 developers and will feature more than 200 exhibitors and 70 speakers, alongside networking opportunities, a career fair, and a startup showcase.
Registration for the event is now open.
Source: The Robot Report