Hyundai Sets 2028 Robot Deployment, Partners with Google

LAS VEGAS, NV - Hyundai Motor Group said it will deploy humanoid robots in its factories and announced partnerships with technology companies at the Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday.

The South Korean automaker presented plans to introduce robots into manufacturing operations, coordinate activities across company divisions, and work with Google DeepMind and NVIDIA.

Boston Dynamics, in which Hyundai acquired a controlling interest in 2021, displayed what it described as a production version of its Atlas humanoid robot.

Hyundai said Atlas will begin operating at its Savannah, Georgia, manufacturing facility in 2028 for parts sequencing. The company said the robot will perform component assembly tasks starting in 2030.

Atlas has 56 degrees of freedom and can lift 110 pounds, according to Boston Dynamics. The robot operates in temperatures between minus 4 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boston Dynamics said operators can teach the robot tasks in under 1 day.

Hyundai set a target of 30,000 robot units per year in production capacity by 2028. The company listed material sequencing, assembly, and machine tending as applications for Atlas.

Boston Dynamics operates two robots commercially. Spot, a four-legged robot, works in more than 40 countries. Stretch, designed for warehouses, has handled more than 20 million boxes since 2023, the company said.

Hyundai said divisions including Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, and Hyundai Glovis will coordinate on robotics.

Hyundai Mobis will produce actuators and components. Hyundai Glovis will handle logistics.

The company said it will operate two robotics development facilities. A Robot Metaplant Application Center will open in the United States in 2026 as a training facility.

A Software-Defined Factory platform operates at facilities in Singapore and Georgia.

Hyundai said it will use NVIDIA infrastructure and simulation tools. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with NVIDIA and South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT.

Boston Dynamics said it will work with Google DeepMind on artificial intelligence models for robots. Google DeepMind develops what it calls Gemini Robotics.

Hyundai said it will invest 125.2 trillion Korean won in South Korea from 2026 through 2030 for robotics and artificial intelligence.

The company said it will invest 26 billion dollars in the United States from 2025 through 2028, including a robotics facility with capacity for 30,000 units annually.

Hyundai said customers can subscribe to robot services rather than purchase units. The company said DHL, Nestlé, and Maersk currently use this model.

Hyundai is displaying Atlas, Spot, Stretch, and MobED robots at the Las Vegas Convention Center through January 9. MobED received a CES 2026 innovation award.

The exhibits show industrial oversight, autonomous navigation, and factory tasks.