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Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter Steps Down After Leading Company Through Humanoid Revolution
Industry·The Robot Report / Boston Dynamics·1 min read

Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter Steps Down After Leading Company Through Humanoid Revolution

Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics since 2019, has stepped down after 27 years at the company, with his last day set for February 27, 2026. Playter led Boston Dynamics through its acquisition by Hyundai and its transformation from a research lab into a commercial robotics leader — bringing Spot, Stretch, and the electric Atlas humanoid to market. CFO Amanda McMaster will serve as interim CEO. Under Playter's leadership, all 2026 Atlas units are already committed to customers including Google DeepMind, with Hyundai targeting production of up to 30,000 humanoids annually by 2028. Founder Marc Raibert praised Playter for building the teams and culture that made Boston Dynamics' breakthroughs possible.

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Hyundai Targets 150,000 Atlas Humanoid Robots Per Year by 2029, Aiming to Match Tesla on PriceIndustry

Hyundai Targets 150,000 Atlas Humanoid Robots Per Year by 2029, Aiming to Match Tesla on Price

Hyundai Motor Group has laid out an aggressive mass production roadmap for Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot, according to a report from Korean outlet ETNews. The plan unfolds in three phases: initial production in 2027, mass production of 35,000 to 40,000 units in 2028, and a jump to 150,000 units annually by 2029. Hyundai expects the per-unit cost to drop from around $130,000–$140,000 for early units to approximately $20,000 at the 150,000-unit scale — matching Tesla's target price for Optimus. Atlas is already being tested at Hyundai's HMGMA Metaplant in Georgia for automotive manufacturing tasks. To support the ramp, Hyundai is running competitive bidding and technology verification with global suppliers, while collaborating with Google on advanced AI integration. Industry insiders say the urgency is driven by both Tesla's 1-million-unit ambition and the rapid rise of Chinese humanoid manufacturers who already dominate global shipments.

·ETNews / The Korean Car Blog
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Industry

Hyundai Invests $6.3 Billion to Build Robot Factory, AI Data Center, and Hydrogen Hub in South Korea

Hyundai Motor Group signed an MOU with the South Korean government and Jeonbuk State to invest 9 trillion won ($6.3 billion) in the Saemangeum coastal development zone. The centerpiece is a 5.8 trillion won hyperscale AI data center housing up to 50,000 GPUs, scheduled for completion by 2029, which will process data for autonomous driving and humanoid robotics — including Boston Dynamics' Atlas. A separate 400 billion won robotics manufacturing cluster on a 1.12 million-square-meter site will have annual capacity of 30,000 robot units, with construction starting in 2028. The complex also includes a PEM electrolyzer plant for clean hydrogen production and solar power infrastructure. Hyundai framed the project as building the computing backbone for 'physical AI' — embedding intelligence into moving machines rather than limiting AI to software. The investment is part of Hyundai's broader 125.2 trillion won domestic spending plan through 2030. Officials estimate it will generate 16 trillion won in economic impact and roughly 71,000 jobs.

·Reuters / Hyundai Motor Group
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Industry

OpenMind Partners with Chinese Humanoid Makers to Bring Their Robots to Global Markets

US-based OpenMind, which develops OM1 — an open-source, hardware-agnostic operating system for robots — is collaborating with Chinese humanoid manufacturers including Unitree, UBTech, AgiBot, LimX Dynamics, Booster Robotics, and EngineAI to help them expand internationally. CEO Jan Liphardt, also a Stanford bioengineering professor, noted that China is ahead of the US in robotics hardware thanks to vertically integrated supply chains and intense domestic competition. OpenMind's approach: provide US-hosted software, local data storage, and cloud infrastructure to help Chinese firms navigate regulatory and commercial hurdles in Western markets. The OS integrates vision, audio, and spatial data into a unified model that drives robot actions across humanoids, quadrupeds, and drones. OpenMind is targeting human-facing applications in retail, hospitals, and schools — not factories.

·Interesting Engineering / SCMP