Boston Dynamics Hardware Equipped with Toyota Research Institute AI Learning Capability
Hyundai Motor and Toyota Leaders Meet on 27th
Hyundai Motor and Toyota Reveal First Concrete Example of Collaboration
Hyundai Motor Company and Toyota Motor Corporation have chosen robotics as the first field of their technology alliance. Hyundai's affiliate, robot manufacturer Boston Dynamics, and Toyota Research Institute have joined forces to develop humanoid robots utilizing artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Bloomberg on the 16th (local time), the two companies announced plans to apply Toyota Research Institute's Large Behavior Model (LBM) learning technology to Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot 'Atlas.'
Boston Dynamics is a robot manufacturer in which Hyundai Motor Group holds an 80% stake. In April, it introduced a new bipedal walking robot 'Atlas' adopting a new electrified drive system, accelerating its development of humanoid robots.
Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is developing robots capable of broad learning through AI-based 'Large Behavior Models (LBM).' The institute focuses on enabling tactile feedback and sensing, concentrating on developing robots capable of dual-arm manipulation tasks. Through LBM, it has successfully taught robots over 60 skills by last year and aims to teach 1,000 new skills by the end of 2024.
The industry is paying attention to the collaboration between Boston Dynamics, which possesses top-tier hardware technology, and TRI, which has expertise in AI learning. Gil Pratt, Senior Researcher at Toyota Research Institute, said, "Our work related to generative AI will be tremendously complementary to the work Boston Dynamics has been doing." Aaron Saunders, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Boston Dynamics, responded, "This will be the foundation to realize the promise of mass-producing humanoid robots."
The ultimate goal of both companies is to deploy Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot, combined with TRI's behavior model, in complete vehicle assembly lines, homes, or elderly care facilities.
Toyota Research Institute's dual-arm robot is learning the task of mixing eggs. [Photo by Toyota Research Institute]
Notably, this collaboration was finalized just before the scheduled meeting on the 27th of this month between Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda, drawing industry attention. While there had been speculation about potential technological cooperation in hydrogen energy, hybrid, and electric vehicle fields between the two global automotive leaders, they chose robotics as their first collaborative field.
There is also a perspective that the collaboration in robotics between the two companies will reshape the competitive landscape against Tesla. On the 10th, Tesla showcased its humanoid robot Optimus at the Robotaxi event. At the event, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced plans to mass-produce Optimus at a price range of $20,000 to $30,000. Optimus is set to be actively deployed at Tesla's electric vehicle factories starting next year and will be available for sale to external companies from 2026.
Im Eun-young, a researcher at Samsung Securities, said, "Currently, Hyundai and Toyota's AI technology is inferior to Tesla's, but they have a production scale about ten times larger than Tesla's," adding, "Their hardware cost competitiveness, accumulated through mass production experience, gives the two companies an advantage over Tesla."
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