Hyundai is betting on humanoids: Atlas is being prepared for factories from 2028
6 January 17:50
Boston Dynamics, a division of Hyundai Motor Co. has unveiled an updated version of the humanoid robot Atlas. The company plans to use it at its own production facilities as early as 2028, initially to perform simple and repetitive operations.
This was reported by Bloomberg, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
How Atlas is planned to be used
At the first stage, the humanoid will perform tasks to prepare parts for car assembly, including laying out components in the order of their subsequent installation. By 2030, Hyundai expects to involve Atlas in more complex assembly processes on the assembly line.
The company notes that this should increase production efficiency and reduce the physical burden on workers.
What the new robot can do
According to Hyundai, Atlas is equipped with human-sized arms with a tactile feel and fully rotatable joints. The robot is capable of lifting loads weighing up to 50 kg and operating in a wide temperature range – from minus 20 to plus 40 degrees Celsius.
These characteristics, according to the company, make it suitable for use in real-world industrial production environments.
Scale and plans
Hyundai plans to launch mass production of Atlas humanoids at a new plant in the United States. The expected volume is up to 30 thousand robots per year. The company emphasizes that it sees humanoid robotics as one of the key segments of the “physical market” for artificial intelligence in the future.
The automotive industry is currently leading the way in implementing automation: automakers are seeking to reduce labor costs, improve safety, and find new sources of revenue through artificial intelligence.
Hyundai is not the only player in this race. Last year, China’s Xpeng introduced the humanoid robot Iron, which caused a sharp rise in its shares. Tesla is developing the Optimus robot, which, according to Elon Musk, could potentially become the company’s main asset. Toyota is also actively investing in robotics and in 2024 joined forces with Hyundai to accelerate the development of AI-powered humanoid robots.
Hyundai aims to bring Atlas to mass production
Hyundai says it aims to put Atlas into mass production and gradually deploy humanoids in industrial facilities. If the company’s plans come true, humanoid robots could become a commonplace element of automotive plants by the end of the decade – not as an experiment, but as part of the standard production process.
