Source: Fortune
Summary
At the FIFA World Cup, a five-foot humanoid robot named Atlas, built by Boston Dynamics, delivered the match ball to the referee in a historic moment. Atlas was trained, not programmed, to perform soccer moves and adapt to various conditions. Hyundai Motor Company, which owns Boston Dynamics, sponsored the event and aims to integrate robotics into its business strategy. Atlas is being tested in Hyundai factories and will be produced at a dedicated facility in the US. The company sees robotics as a key capability to shape its competitiveness.
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The numbers tell one story.
Hyundai’s $26 billion investment in the US includes a robotics manufacturing facility, with Atlas units to be produced annually. Atlas’s training process involved watching film and learning from human motion-capture data. The robot’s appearance at the World Cup was a deliberate move to showcase its capabilities. Hyundai sees robotics as a strategic capability to shape its competitiveness.
The company’s pivot point from internal exploration to public demonstration marks a significant shift in its business strategy.
Author: Evan Null
