Boston Dynamics, a robotics subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, has released behind-the-scenes footage of its humanoid robot Atlas in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime performance.
On July 15, Boston Dynamics shared videos and content detailing the development process and technical significance of Atlas's World Cup halftime show through its official social media channels and technology blog.
The company explained that it applied various technologies to respond to the unpredictable environment of the stadium.
Seth Davis, senior program manager at Boston Dynamics, stated, "To deploy a robot from the lab to a real stadium, we had to consider not only the robot's performance but also the communication environment, ground conditions, and interactions with surrounding people."
Previously, on July 5, Atlas showcased a performance during the halftime of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, reenacting goal celebrations of world-class soccer players and delivering a soccer ball to the referee. The performance was praised for demonstrating stable movements in a real stadium environment, proving its potential for practical use.
In a stadium filled with tens of thousands of fans, stable control was challenging with existing Wi-Fi-based communication, prompting the establishment of a dedicated communication channel. The control system and software were also improved to ensure reliable operation in strong sunlight and high outdoor temperatures.
Adapting to the grass environment was another major challenge. While the original Atlas had been trained on flat indoor surfaces, the unevenness and variability of soccer field grass increased the risk of slipping or tripping.
To address this, Boston Dynamics added technology to model the interaction between the robot's feet and the grass, conducting repeated training in a local park's soccer field.
Additionally, to naturally execute goal celebration and ball delivery movements, the company combined retargeting technology, which adapts human movements to the robot's structure, with reinforcement learning and full-body control techniques to enhance response speed and balance control performance.
Boston Dynamics emphasized that this demonstration is not just a performance but a process to validate core technologies required in manufacturing environments. The full-body control, balance maintenance, and environmental adaptation skills necessary for kicking or delivering a ball could be applied in various industrial settings, including material handling, component manipulation, and production tasks.
Seth Davis noted, "The most important aspect of developing Atlas is to enable the robot to perform virtually any task. Our goal is to intuitively show what robots can do for people and what roles they will play in the future."
Meanwhile, Boston Dynamics plans to continue advancing related technologies to develop Atlas as a key element in actual manufacturing environments.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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