Humanoid robots
Hyundai shows off Atlas humanoid as part of AI robotics strategy
Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled the product version of its Atlas Robot, developed with Boston Dynamics, which will be used at Hyundai Motor’s EV metaplant in the US state of Georgia from 2028. The robot has applications for material sequencing, assembly and machine tending.
Hyundai said the humanoid robot laid the groundwork for robot commercialisation and a collaborative human-robot environment, in which robots took the physical burden and risk out of lineside assembly and logistics tasks. The Atlas debut formed part of Hyundai’s wider AI robotics strategy focus at a technology trade show in the US, which it entitled Partnering Human Progress.
Hyundai said that Atlas robots will be gradually deployed across different parts of the business through process-by-process validation. Beginning in 2028, the robot will pick up tasks with proven safety and quality benefits, such as parts sequencing, and by 2030, applications will extend to component assembly.
Over time, Atlas will also take on tasks involving repetitive motions, heavy loads and other complex operations, according to Hyundai. That will ensure safer working environments for factory employees. As Atlas’ performance is validated, the group aims to progressively scale adoption across entire production sites.
Group-wide application
Hyundai Motor said it is working with its group affiliates Kia, Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis, to build and end-to-end AI robotics value chain. Hyundai and Kia are providing manufacturing infrastructure, process control and large-scale production data. At the same time, Hyundai Mobis is working closely with Boston Dynamics to develop high-performance actuators.
Atlas features fully rotational joints and human-sized hands with tactile sensing. The humanoid is engineered to handle demanding tasks autonomously and safely. The production of the actuators marks Hyundai Mobis’ official move into the global robotics components market, applying its expertise in automotive component design and mass production to standardise key components and build a supply chain for the group’s robotics platform.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Glovis will be optimising logistics and supply chain management to ensure efficient delivery.
According to Hyundai by 2028 the group aims to establish a scalable production system capable of manufacturing 30,000 robot units annually. It said Atlas surpasses any other “enterprise-grade humanoid”, underscoring the group's commitment to scaling Atlas for broader industrial and commercial markets.
Humanoid training
Hyundai will be training the Atlas robots at its Robot Metaplant Application Center (RMAC), which it describes as “a manufacturing environment to ensure safe readiness for real-world applications”. The company said that it is integrating capabilities in robotics, components, logistics and software to accelerate robot development and deployment, enhance customer services as well as getting a good return on investment to push the company forward in the AI robotics sector.
Robots will learn how to collaborate with human workers by mapping movements such as lifts, turns and recoveries into precision training for repetitive and complex tasks. “Behavioural datasets combining training data from RMAC and real-world operational data from SDF [Software-Defined Factory] create a cyclical synergy that enables continuous retraining,” said Hyundai Motor in a press release. “This iterative process ensures robots evolve to become faster, smarter and safer, constantly improving their capabilities for effective human-robot collaboration.”
The RMAC facility is due to open in 2026 and by 2028 RMAC-trained Atlas robots will be deployed for highly repetitive sequencing tasks, progressing to complex assembly work by 2030, according to the company. This iterative training process will ensure that Hyundai Motor Group robots deliver measurable impact in diverse industries, from logistics and construction to energy and facility management.
