Boston Dynamics (BD), the robotics subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Group, has begun work to reduce the production time for its humanoid robot, "Atlas," from approximately one day currently to about one hour by next year. The company aims to further shorten this to a matter of minutes thereafter. By establishing processes comparable to a manufacturing line starting from the prototype stage, BD is accelerating preparations for the mass Yangsan of Atlas.
According to industry sources on the 15th, BD recently released a video titled "Machine, Assemble, Repair: How We Build Atlas," which included details on these efforts. The video showed how BD's prototype development team performs everything from part machining to assembly, testing, and maintenance and repair in a single space. A BD official stated, "A year ago, building even one robot was a major undertaking," adding, "Now it takes about a day, we aim for about an hour next year, and eventually want to reduce it to just a few minutes."
Notably, the company has equipped its prototype development stage with facilities that are essentially close to a completed manufacturing line. While prototype development typically focuses on repeatedly designing and modifying small batches of products, BD established a manufacturing system capable of repeatedly producing multiple robots with consistent quality from the initial development phase. In fact, a BD official explained, "We apply Yangsan-level rigorous standards to the prototyping process so that we can manufacture not just one or two units, but multiple prototypes on a large scale."
BD is also performing in-house manufacturing of certain components, including precision machining and gear cutting. This is because there are cases where external vendors cannot meet high precision and special machining requirements, making it difficult for them to even provide production quotes. BD has established a system where design engineers and machining personnel collaborate closely to quickly reflect design changes into actual parts.
Robotic arms are also being utilized in the assembly process. This allows for the automation of repetitive assembly tasks while enabling rapid implementation of design changes proposed by engineers into the actual hardware.
This advancement in manufacturing processes aligns with the Hyundai Motor Group's strategy for the mass Yangsan of Atlas. The group plans to establish a system capable of producing 30,000 robots annually by 2028. The goal is to transition from BD's pilot production capacity of up to 1,000 units per year, secured at its headquarters in Massachusetts, USA, to a full-scale mass production system.
Lee Sang-soo, a research analyst at iM Securities, analyzed, "BD's current development of Atlas is moving beyond technical realization into the stage of securing Yangsan capability," adding, "Standardizing manufacturing processes from the prototype development stage and reducing production time and costs will become the core competitiveness for mass Yangsan."
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