Boston Dynamics’ Atlas Signals the Next Phase of Autonomous Industrial Robotics
Boston Dynamics, a global leader in mobile robotics, has unveiled the product version of its new Atlas robot at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The company will begin production of the new Atlas robots at its Boston headquarters immediately. All Atlas deployments are already fully committed for 2026, with fleets scheduled to ship to Hyundai’s Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) and Google DeepMind in the coming months. The company plans to add additional customers in early 2027.
“For more than 30 years, Boston Dynamics has been building some of the world’s most advanced robots,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics. “This is the best robot we have ever built. Atlas is going to revolutionize the way industry works, and it marks the first step toward a long-term goal we have dreamed about since we were children–useful robots that can walk into our homes and help make our lives safer, more productive, and more fulfilling.”
Atlas is designed to be an enterprise grade humanoid robot that can perform a wide array of industrial tasks, from material handling to order fulfilment. The robot learns new tasks quickly, adapts to dynamic environments, lifts heavy loads, and works autonomously with minimal supervision. It performs at a consistent, reliable pace and does not need to stop even when its battery power runs low–it will autonomously navigate to a charging station, swap out its own batteries, and get right back to work. The robot easily connects to MES, WMS, and other industrial systems via Boston Dynamics’ Orbit software. And once a single Atlas robot learns a new task, that task can immediately be replicated across the entire fleet of robots.
The robot can be controlled in three different ways: autonomous mode, teleoperated, or by using a tablet steering interface. Atlas has 56 degrees of freedom, fully rotational joints, a reach extending to 2.3M (7.5 ft), and the strength to lift up to 50 kg (110 lbs). The robot is also extremely water-resistant and can operate at diverse temperature ranges from -20° to 40° C (-4° to 104° F). Its safety features include human detection and fenceless guarding, and it can be integrated into workflows using barcode scanners or RFID.
“Our new Atlas is the most production friendly robot we’ve ever designed,” said Zack Jackowski, GM of Atlas at Boston Dynamics. “This generation of Atlas significantly reduces the amount of unique parts in the robot, and every component has been designed for compatibility with automotive supply chains. With Hyundai Motor Group’s backing, we will achieve the best reliability and economies of scale in the industry.”
In addition to unveiling the Atlas product at CES, Boston Dynamics also announced a new partnership with Google DeepMind that aims to integrate cutting edge Google DeepMind foundation models into Atlas to give the robot greater cognitive capabilities.
Hyundai Motor Group, Boston Dynamics’ majority shareholder, is preparing to deploy tens of thousands of Boston Dynamics’ robots into its own manufacturing facilities. The company also recently announced a $26 billion investment in its U.S. operations, including plans to build a new robotics factory capable of producing 30,000 robots per year.
For more information: www.bostondynamics.com
