Hyundai factories to employ ‘tens of thousands’ of Boston Dynamics humanoid robots

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group and U.S. robotics developer Boston Dynamics have announced plans to deepen their partnership, with Hyundai buying “tens of thousands” of robots from Boston Dynamics over the coming years for use in its manufacturing. The partnership will help Boston Dynamics grow by integrating with the automaker’s manufacturing capabilities.

Image Source: Boston Dynamics

Last week, Hyundai announced plans to invest $21 billion in the U.S. economy, including $6 billion to spur innovation and expand strategic partnerships with U.S. companies. The collaboration with Hyundai is expected to help Boston Dynamics become the world’s leading maker of advanced mobile robots. In 2021, Hyundai acquired an 80% majority stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank for $880 million.

Hyundai already uses Boston Dynamics’ Spot robots in its factories to perform production inspections and preventive maintenance. The automaker plans to use Atlas robots in its production in the future.

Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jaehoon Chang said Boston Dynamics and robotics AI will play a critical role in helping the company achieve its goals, taking its business to the next level. Boston Dynamics said its collaboration with Hyundai will allow it to better understand the automaker’s manufacturing needs and how robots can help it improve productivity and efficiency.

Earlier this year, Boston Dynamics announced collaborations with Nvidia, Google Deepmind, Toyota Research Institute, and subsidiary Robotics & AI Institute (RAI) to improve its robots.

According to Goldman Sachs, the global market for humanoid robots could grow to more than $38 billion by 2035.