Hyundai's Boston Dynamics partners with Toyota on AI-powered humanoid robot

Hyundai Motor-backed Boston Dynamics has teamed up with Toyota Motor's research unit to develop an AI-powered humanoid robot, Atlas.

Boston Dynamics' Atlas, a two-legged walking robot [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor-backed Boston Dynamics has teamed up with Toyota Motor's research unit to develop an AI-powered humanoid robot.

The Massachusetts-based robotics company said it inked a joint research agreement with Toyota Research Institute (TRI) to co-develop an advanced humanoid robot sharing the two parties' own technologies.

Boston Dynamics' Atlas, a two-legged walking robot. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Toyota's large behavior models (LBMs) for robotics will be applied to Boston Dynamics' Atlas electric robots. The LBMs include the application of generative AI to advance robotic dexterity. Toyota said it succeeded in training robots in 60 technologies with the LBMs and aims for 100 by the end of the year.

Boston Dynamics, which was acquired by Hyundai in 2020, currently has three robots in its portfolio: Spot, a four-legged robot dog, Stretch, a box-moving robot specialized in logistics, and Atlas, a two-legged walking robot.

It's the first time Hyundai, the world's third-largest carmaker, has inked any technological partnership with Toyota, the world's largest automaker in terms of sales volume.

“There has never been a more exciting time for the robotics industry, and we look forward to working with TRI to accelerate the development of general-purpose humanoids,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics. “This partnership is an example of two companies with a strong research-and-development foundation coming together to work on many complex challenges and build useful robots that solve real-world problems.”

Hyundai is expanding its partnership with Toyota after the two discussed cooperation in hydrogen in September.

The two are scheduled to jointly host a motor sport racing event in Korea on Oct. 27, which will be attended by Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Toyota's chairman, Akio Toyoda. Chung and Toyoda are expected to hold a meeting to discuss further partnerships at the event.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]