US-based Boston Dynamics, Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG) AI-enabled mobile robotics subsidiary, announced that it has opened a training and testing facility for its Atlas humanoid robots at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) plant near Savannah, Georgia.
The announcement comes just days after Toyota announced plans to deploy around 400,000 in-house developed humanoid robots, including the ‘ELEY’ (Embodied Learning robot for Enhanced Yield), across its global manufacturing operations in the medium term.
Boston Dynamics said the launch of the Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) at HMGMA marks the next chapter in the company’s robotics and AI strategy, after it unveiled the Atlas robot at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Boston Dynamics said that the RMAC serves as a testbed and training centre for integrating Atlas robots directly into HMG’s automobile manufacturing operations, noting that “the robots are being trained in real-world environments, such as preparing the logistics and sequencing of automotive parts before placing them in the correct order for assembly. By 2030, applications will extend to component assembly. Over time, Atlas will take on new tasks involving repetitive motions and strenuous work like lifting heavy loads.”
HMG plans to step up the deployment of Atlas robots across its global manufacturing network, beginning with 25,000 units at Hyundai Motor and Kia’s global assembly plants over the next few years. A new production facility will be built in US capable of producing up to 30,000 robots annually to meet this demand.
Boston Dynamics confirmed that the first phase of the RMAC is now operational at HMGMA, with further expansion plans already underway. Next year, the company will move its RMAC operations to a larger facility within the HMGMA complex, expanding the operation tenfold from its current size. As well as supporting the preparation of Atlas robots for increased automotive industry deployments, the new facility will also focus on exploring new applications for the robots in other industry sectors, including manufacturing, aerospace, semiconductors, logistics, food & beverage, and life sciences.
Boston Dynamics’ chief product and technology officer, Zack Jackowski, said in a statement: “Together with HMG, we are pioneering physical AI at enterprise scale. We are excited to be working with such a dedicated partner, and we have established a clear strategy to optimize our supply chain, production, testing, and deployment capabilities for Atlas. RMAC reinforces our shared ambition to create a future where robots amplify human potential by making work safer and more productive.”
