Artificial intelligence is one of the most important tech innovations of the decade, with most consumer electronics companies working on new AI features for their products, from chatbots to devices with built-in AI capabilities. These developments will lead to smarter AI models that power more advanced gadgets, including smart humanoid robots, many of which already exist as concepts or development prototypes. Several humanoid robots were shown at CES 2026, including Hyundai’s Boston Dynamics Atlas robot. Unlike less mature products that aren’t ready for a public roll-out, Atlas is already in production ahead of its planned deployment in Hyundai factories.
Boston Dynamics explained on stage at CES 2026 that the entire 2026 Atlas production capacity will serve Hyundai. A strategic partnership with Google DeepMind was also announced, to “accelerate technological development for next-generation humanoid robots”, per a Hyundai press release. Google’s DeepMind has been doing its own robotics AI research in recent years, including the mind-blowing Gemini Robotics models that should allow robots to more naturally interact with the world around them. Boston Dynamics says its own Orbit platform will allow the Atlas to share learned skills with other Atlas robots.
Production of the Atlas robots is set to start at Boston Dynamics’ headquarters with plans in the works for Hyundai and Boston Dynamics to build a factory capable of turning out 30,000 humanoids annually. The commercial version of Atlas, which was shown on stage at CES, will be used for parts sequencing at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America factory in Savannah, Georgia, beginning in 2028.
What the Atlas Robot can do
Hyundai’s subsidiary, Boston Dynamics, brought an Atlas prototype robot (white model) to the 2026 CES show to demo its features, as the commercial version (blue model) wasn’t functional during the announcement. However, the two humanoid robots look almost identical and can perform similar actions. Boston Dynamics explained the Atlas’s head features cameras on all sides for 360-degree vision.
Atlas’s body is also a technological breakthrough. It looks like a human, with a torso, hands, and feet, but has 56 degrees of freedom. This allows the robot to completely rotate its head, torso, hands, and fingers, which means it can interact with nearby objects more efficiently than a person. Atlas can also rise from a folded position, so it will take up less space when not working or performing an action.
Speaking of work, Atlas has a battery life of about four hours, thanks to dual battery packs stored in the torso. When the batteries run low, the robot will swap them autonomously. Also, Atlas is water resistant and can work in a variety of weather conditions. Boston Dynamics said the robot can operate between -4° and 104°Fahrenheit. By 2030, “Atlas will also take on tasks involving repetitive motions, heavy loads, and other complex operations,” according to Hyundai.
Atlas is close to commercial deployment
Atlas stands 6.2 feet tall and weighs 198 pounds. It has a reach of 7.5 feet, hands that feature tactile sensing in the fingers and palms for dexterity, and can lift objects weighing up to 110 pounds. That’s the instant lift capability, however, with sustained weight capacity listed at 66 pounds. And when Atlas is used for heavy lifting, the battery life will be cut in half, according to Boston Dynamics. Atlas can replace those batteries in three minutes, and the used packs can be recharged in an hour and a half.
Put differently, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas is much closer to commercial deployment than alternatives, including Tesla’s Optimus, the general-purpose humanoid robot that Elon Musk showed off in 2024. That said, Atlas will not be available for general sale anytime soon. The robot will be used in manufacturing environments first, starting with Hyundai factories. Boston Dynamics has not yet announced a price for the robot, so don’t get your hopes up if you’re in the contingent who would happily buy a humanoid AI robot to do chores and help out with tedious or physically demanding tasks.
