Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, and Atlas engineers Zach Jackowski and Scott Kuindersma discuss training and deploying AI-powered humanoid robots at Hyundai’s Georgia factory and Boston Dynamics’ Massachusetts lab.
Boston Dynamics brought its electric, AI-powered Atlas to Hyundai’s Georgia plant for its first real-world work. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound robot practiced sorting roof racks autonomously, while Atlas development lead Zach Jackowski described the test as a nerve-racking milestone.
Scott Kuindersma said Atlas is trained through demonstrations and machine learning, rather than relying only on hand-written instructions. Engineers can guide the robot task by task using virtual reality, or capture a person’s movements and train Atlas to imitate them. In one experiment, more than 4,000 simulated Atlas copies practiced a movement for six hours; a learned skill can then be shared across the robot fleet.
Nvidia chips process data that helps Atlas build a better model of its surroundings and physical tasks. Kuindersma compared this approach to letting a basketball learner explore different ways to shoot, which can reveal solutions engineers did not plan. Boston Dynamics sees a path toward robots that can follow plain-language task instructions, though everyday activities such as pouring coffee remain beyond current humanoids’ abilities.
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter said Atlas could bring strength and heat tolerance to difficult or dangerous work, while acknowledging that robots still need people to build, train, and maintain them. He expects repetitive, physically demanding tasks to shift toward robots, but said Atlas may be several years from full-time factory work. Playter also warned that China’s investment scale could challenge U.S. leadership; Hyundai’s Hungu Kim said Atlas development was on track.
Briefs summarise talks and interviews; timestamps open the video at that moment. Claims in a talk are the speaker's own.
Scott Kuindersma, a research scientist at Boston Dynamics, presents Atlas research at Robotics Today, followed by a panel discussion with host Alberto Rodriguez, guest specialist Sangbae Kim, and audience members.
A Boston Dynamics Prototype Operations team member explains how the company builds and improves Atlas, from precision machining through assembly and testing, alongside its engineers.
Boston Dynamics engineers discuss the design, simulation, and dexterity of Atlas’s new hands.
Boston Dynamics’ robotics team discusses Atlas’s path to industrial work at Hyundai Motor Group’s Robotics Metaplant Application Center, with a host visiting the facility.
The Atlas Director of Robot Behavior at Boston Dynamics talks with NEXT host John Koetsier about Atlas’s design, robot intelligence, factory integration, and why legs can suit industrial work.
Chris Thorn, Atlas hardware team lead at Boston Dynamics, discusses the new Atlas design with industrial designers Aaron Abroff and James Kucera at Boston Dynamics.
