The company is preparing to join manufacturers such as Tesla and BYD in deploying humanoid robots in production. The South Korea based firm announced that it aims to integrate its humanoid robot called Atlas showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas into its global manufacturing network.
Hyundai holds a majority stake in Boston Dynamics, the developer of Atlas. Boston Dynamics is also known for Spot, a robotic dog used for tasks such as working in hazardous environments and collecting data. Atlas, which walks on two legs, is described as “the world’s most dynamic humanoid robot.” It stands out with a four hour swappable battery life, the ability to learn new tasks, and a design that allows it to operate at the same workstations and with the same equipment used by human workers.
The company stated that Atlas has begun being tested on real production sequencing tasks at a Hyundai facility to measure its efficiency in a full manufacturing role. Hyundai said the robots are expected to reduce the physical burden on workers and improve workplace safety by taking on potentially dangerous tasks.
The announcement follows Hyundai’s disclosure of plans to invest more than USD 20 billion in the United States over the coming years. The company aims to expand its production capacity in the country and increase investments in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technologies.
In the U.S., companies such as Waymo and Tesla continue to allocate large budgets to autonomous driving technologies. Tesla is also working on its humanoid robot Optimus, though it still faces challenges in terms of production and functionality. Under Elon Musk’s new compensation plan, a target of selling one million robots has been set, a move that could potentially raise Musk’s wealth to USD 1 trillion within 10 years.
Hyundai Vice Chairman Jaehoon Chang said he understands concerns about the impact of robots on the workforce but noted that robot–human integration is expected to begin within about two years. The company did not disclose how many robots will be deployed in the initial phase.
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