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Atlas is central to Hyundai Motor Group’s AI robotics strategy unveiled in Las Vegas. The next-generation, electric Atlas development model, shown for the first time at CES 2026, was designed for high efficiency in real manufacturing settings, with autonomous learning and flexibility to handle varied work environments, the group said.
CNET cited Atlas’ natural, humanlike walking ability and refined design in naming it Best Robot at CES 2026. The outlet said the robot supports the group’s vision of human-centered AI robotics through next-generation machines built to collaborate with people.
“Atlas was easily the best of the many humanoid robots we saw at CES 2026,” CNET said. “The prototype demonstrated on the show floor left a strong impression with its natural gait, and the product version, closer to mass production, has completed preparations to be deployed at Hyundai Motor Group manufacturing plants starting this year.”
Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy Atlas first in 2028 at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, or HMGMA, in Savannah, Georgia. It will begin with processes where safety and quality gains have been verified, such as parts sequencing, and then expand use in stages.
By 2030, the group plans to broaden Atlas’ role to various parts-assembly processes and more complex work, including repetitive tasks and handling heavy loads, to improve worker safety and accelerate smart-factory innovation. After performance verification, it plans to expand deployment across the group’s global production sites.
Developed for industrial use, Atlas is a general-purpose humanoid robot designed to integrate smoothly with existing factory equipment.
It can lift up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and perform delicate tasks, and it is designed to be waterproof and washable for easier maintenance. The robot is built to operate reliably from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius (minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit).
It also includes advanced rotary joints and sensors for autonomous movement and work in complex industrial environments, and it can quickly adapt to new tasks through AI-based learning. With a fully rotating joint structure offering 56 degrees of freedom and a human-size hand equipped with tactile sensors, it can autonomously handle high-difficulty tasks.
Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, said, “Atlas is the best robot we have developed, and this award means the team’s efforts are bearing fruit as we work to bring the world’s top humanoid to market.”
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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