[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyung-wook ] Boston Dynamics, the robotics subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, will begin training and data operations for its humanoid robot “Atlas” this month under a two-shift system—day and night—similar to that of an actual automobile factory. Ahead of its planned deployment to production sites in 2028, the company is launching full-scale commercialization verification to manage not only the robot’s ability to perform simple movements but also its workload, data quality, and safety, just as in an actual production process.
According to an exclusive report by Edaily on the 9th, Boston Dynamics has decided to operate the data operations team at its Robot Training Center and Robot Meta-Plant Application Center (RMAC) in Savannah, Georgia—scheduled to begin operations this month—on a two-shift system. The company is currently recruiting data operations supervisors for the second shift (2:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.) to support this effort.
◇ Full-Scale Validation of Deploying the Humanoid ‘Atlas’ in a Factory Environment
This move is interpreted as an effort to operate RMAC’s robot training data production line in a manner as similar as possible to an actual automobile factory, with the aim of securing data that closely mirrors real-world conditions. Atlas is fundamentally capable of 24-hour “operation,” excluding time spent on maintenance and testing. It is designed for continuous operation; for example, when charging is needed, it automatically replaces its battery and returns to work. However, during the current training and validation phase, it is necessary to systematically manage data production volume, yield, quality, causes of failure, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and safety by deploying personnel in shifts to handle remote operation, motion demonstrations, and data collection.
Among these roles, the RMAC Data Operations Team is responsible for training the robot’s “brain” by remotely operating Atlas or having a human wear sensors to demonstrate tasks. In the context of an actual automotive factory, the data operations supervisor is equivalent to a production line shift supervisor who plans on-site operations.
Hyundai Motor plans to operate MetaPlant America (HMGMA), its U.S. production hub, on a two-shift schedule starting this September and has been piloting a two-shift production system since early this month. In addition, a significant number of Hyundai Motor and Kia production plants, including those in South Korea, are currently operating on a two-shift schedule.
In conjunction with this, Boston Dynamics is sequentially recruiting engineers for Atlas manufacturing, manufacturing testing, and design for manufacturability (DFM), as well as personnel for machining, actuator program management, and parts procurement and supply chain at its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts. Furthermore, the company is expanding its staff to include customer service and marketing personnel with an eye toward the commercialization and expanded sales of Atlas. This signifies that the Atlas development organization has reached a stage where it is transitioning from a research and prototyping-focused structure to a manufacturing and sales-oriented one.
◇Expanding Global Manufacturing Operations, Starting with HMGMA
The commercialization of Atlas is considered Chairman Euisun Chung’s key strategic move to secure a leading position in Physical AI. Hyundai Motor Group has designated humanoid robots as the core platform for Physical AI—where AI perceives the real world and acts directly—and is fostering Atlas as a future growth engine.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to establish an annual production capacity of 30,000 robots by 2028 and deploy Atlas for parts sequencing tasks at HMGMA that same year. Furthermore, by 2030, the company aims to expand Atlas’s scope of work to include parts assembly. Subsequently, the Group plans to gradually expand the scope of application by leveraging its 72 affiliates—centered on Hyundai Motor and Kia—and 139 manufacturing sites worldwide as potential testing grounds and demand sources. Hyundai Motor Group previously mentioned to institutional investors in May that it could secure demand for more than 25,000 Atlas units at Hyundai Motor and Kia production sites alone. An automotive industry official stated, “If Atlas establishes itself as a mass-produced product with an annual output of tens of thousands of units, it will become a key driver for boosting the company’s valuation during a future initial public offering (IPO).”
Boston Dynamics is also expanding its capital markets team, which will serve as the foundation for a medium- to long-term IPO. Following the hiring of Amy Dai—a former venture capitalist specializing in mobility—as head of investor relations last April, the company is currently recruiting corporate legal counsel to handle board and shareholder materials as well as securities law disclosures, and strategic personnel to analyze long-term financial outlooks, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and capital allocation. Hyundai Motor Group is also reportedly putting significant effort into appointing a new CEO for Boston Dynamics. Currently, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Amanda McMaster is serving as interim CEO.
There is widespread speculation in the market that Boston Dynamics’ enterprise value could exceed 150 trillion won, depending on Atlas’s growth trajectory. The general consensus in the industry is that an IPO will take place after the Atlas factory begins operations in 2028.
