Episode Details

For more than a decade, the humanoid robot Atlas has served as a symbol of what advanced robotics might one day achieve. Developed by the Massachusetts-based firm Boston Dynamics, the robot became widely known for demonstrations of agility and balance that circulated online, even as its commercial future remained uncertain.

On Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Boston Dynamics and its majority owner, Hyundai Motor Group, said that Atlas is now being prepared for real industrial use. Hyundai plans to begin deploying the humanoid robot in its factories starting in 2028, marking a shift from research demonstrations to commercial operation.

The announcement places Boston Dynamics among a growing group of companies attempting to introduce humanoid robots into workplaces, where expectations for reliability and safety are significantly higher than in laboratory settings.

From Research Platform to Product

Boston Dynamics was founded in 1992 as a spinout from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and spent much of its early history focused on government-funded research into robotic mobility. The company changed hands several times before Hyundai acquired an 80 percent controlling stake in 2021.

Since then, Boston Dynamics has increasingly emphasized commercialization. It already sells Spot, a four-legged inspection robot, and Stretch, a mobile robot designed for warehouse unloading. Atlas, however, remained a research platform until now.

At CES, the company confirmed that the current version of Atlas is considered a commercial product. This version is fully electric, replacing earlier hydraulic systems, and is designed for repeatable manufacturing and long-term use in industrial environments.

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