Hyundai Motor Group's humanoid robot ambitions are accelerating as Boston Dynamics' Atlas nears the level of autonomy needed for industrial deployment, according to KB Securities.
In a report released Monday, KB Securities analyst Kang Sung-jin said recent videos from Boston Dynamics, Hyundai Motor Group's US robotics subsidiary, suggest the company has made significant progress toward developing "general intelligence" for humanoid robots. General intelligence refers to the ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations and perform a wide range of tasks beyond preprogrammed routines.
According to Kang, Boston Dynamics can now run simulations equivalent to millions of hours of robot training within a single day. The learned capabilities are then transferred to Atlas in about an hour, dramatically accelerating development and deployment.
He attributed the progress in part to partnerships with Google DeepMind on AI technologies and Nvidia on accelerated computing.
The latest production-ready version of Atlas has also demonstrated advances in physical performance. In one demonstration, the robot moved a refrigerator using coordinated whole-body movements. Another showed Atlas executing dynamic kicks, highlighting improvements in balance, mobility and body control.
Kang said these advances underscore Hyundai's commitment to commercializing industrial humanoid robots and could strengthen Boston Dynamics' position in the emerging market.
He projects that Boston Dynamics could capture 15 percent of the global humanoid robot market by 2035, while its share of the premium industrial humanoid segment could reach as high as 60 percent.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com