Key highlights:

• Boston Dynamics partners with Google DeepMind for humanoid AI research
• Atlas becomes the first robot to use DeepMind’s foundation models
• Focus shifts from athletic movement to human-like interaction
• Hyundai plans factory deployment starting this year

Boston Dynamics has announced a major partnership with Google DeepMind to accelerate the development of its next-generation humanoid robot, Atlas. The collaboration was revealed during Hyundai Motor Group’s press conference at CES 2026 and marks a significant moment for the future of humanoid robotics.

The partnership will integrate Google DeepMind’s AI foundation models into Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot. According to Google DeepMind, Atlas will serve as the first real-world test platform for these models, which are designed to help robots perceive their surroundings, reason through tasks, and interact more naturally with humans.

From Athletic Robots to Human-Aware Machines

Boston Dynamics is widely known for building robots with exceptional physical abilities. However, the company now believes that movement alone is no longer enough. To truly deliver value, humanoid robots must understand people and respond safely in shared environments.

Atlas has been designed with this shift in mind. The humanoid robot features 56 degrees of freedom, human-scale hands with tactile sensing, and the ability to lift up to 110 pounds. It also uses 360-degree vision systems to detect people and objects around it. Still, intelligence plays a critical role in ensuring safe and natural interaction, which is where DeepMind’s AI comes in.

How DeepMind’s AI Fits In

Google DeepMind’s robotics models, including Gemini Robotics, are built to generalize across different tasks and hardware. Instead of relying on predefined instructions, robots can learn from experience and adapt to new situations with minimal training.

By combining these models with Atlas, the companies aim to create robots that understand the physical world more like humans do. This approach could allow Atlas to move beyond repetitive tasks and handle more complex operations in dynamic environments.

Hyundai’s Factory Plans for Atlas

Hyundai Motor Group, which owns Boston Dynamics, plans to deploy Atlas in its manufacturing operations starting this year. Initial use cases include tasks such as parts sequencing and repetitive factory work. By 2028, Hyundai expects humanoid robots to play a broader role across its facilities.

To support this, Hyundai is opening a Robot Metaplant Application Center in the US. The facility will train robots using movement data that will be combined with real-world factory data to continuously improve performance.

What This Means for Humanoid Robotics

Boston Dynamics already has robots operating in more than 40 countries, with its Stretch robot handling millions of boxes worldwide. With Atlas and Google DeepMind’s AI working together, the company is now positioning itself at the center of the next phase of humanoid robotics, where intelligence and safety matter as much as strength.