Peter Smith
⬤ Boston Dynamics just launched the production version of its Atlas humanoid robot—one of the biggest moves yet toward making humanoid automation a real thing in factories. Atlas isn't trying to copy how humans move. Instead, it's built to do things better and work harder. Hyundai, which owns Boston Dynamics, has already committed to rolling it out across its operations, and together with another AI partner, they've grabbed the entire 2026 supply.
⬤ Atlas comes with fully rotating joints in the head, torso, and limbs—meaning it can twist 360 degrees and move in ways humans can't. It's got 56 degrees of freedom and human-sized hands with sensors in every finger and across the palm, so it can handle delicate tasks with serious precision. A 360-degree vision system helps it see everything around it and work safely alongside people on the floor.
⬤ Built tough for the real world, Atlas can lift up to 110 pounds (about 50kg) and handle temperatures from −4°F to 104°F. It's also water-resistant, so it can survive industrial cleaning. Two swappable batteries give it up to four hours of running time, and it can head back to its dock on its own to swap them out. The Orbit cloud platform powers its learning—new tasks can be trained in under a day and pushed out to every Atlas robot instantly.
⬤ Hyundai is ramping up fast. They're building a new Robotics Metal Plant and a facility designed to pump out up to 30,000 Atlas units a year. With 2026 already sold out, it's clear companies are hungry for humanoid robots in warehouses, production lines, and heavy-duty jobs. Atlas going into full production is a turning point—robotics is moving out of the lab and into the real economy, fast.
Peter Smith
