"From Cartwheels to Aerials": Hyundai Motor Group's Atlas Video Draws Attention

First Video Release Since CES...Effortless Even on Icy Roads
Reinforcement Learning-Based Control and Whole-Body Control Algorithms

Video footage of Hyundai Motor Group's humanoid robot Atlas performing consecutive cartwheels and backflips has been released, drawing public attention.

Atlas begins performing consecutive aerial flips. Hyundai Motor Company

The Atlas beginning consecutive aerial somersaults. Hyundai Motor Company

Boston Dynamics, Hyundai Motor Group's robotics affiliate, released a new video of Atlas on its own YouTube channel on the 7th (local time). This is the first Atlas video to be released since CES.

In the new video, Atlas performs two moves in succession like a gymnast. Although it had previously demonstrated cartwheels and back tumbling separately, this time it also executed the final phase of the somersault sequence, the landing, smoothly and stably without the slightest wobble.

Boston Dynamics also released footage of Atlas walking on an icy road without falling. The company explained that in order to maintain balance and keep moving forward even when its feet slip, the robot must be equipped with highly advanced decision-making and control logic.

In particular, Boston Dynamics also released failure footage, openly showing Atlas falling or collapsing while tumbling or walking on ice, thereby illustrating how challenging these movements are for a robot.

The video of Atlas performing consecutive aerial somersaults demonstrates not just the difficulty of the moves themselves, but that its continuous whole-body control capability-seamlessly executing the entire sequence of takeoff, in-air posture control, landing impact absorption, and posture recovery-has entered a stabilization phase. This is the result of combining a reinforcement learning-based control method, accumulated through large-scale repetitive training, with whole-body control algorithms.

Boston Dynamics stated, "With the activation of the Atlas Enterprise platform, performance testing of the research version has been completed," adding, "With support from the RAI (Robotics and AI) Lab, our researchers conducted final tests to push the limits of whole-body control and mobility."

Atlas running on an icy road. Hyundai Motor Company

Boston Dynamics plans to train Atlas systematically within Hyundai Motor Group's manufacturing environment. At CES, Hyundai Motor Group announced that it would deploy a next-generation electric Atlas development model at production hubs such as Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), and gradually expand the adoption of Atlas through process-by-process verification.

Starting in 2028, Atlas will first be applied at HMGMA to processes where safety and quality benefits have been clearly validated, such as sequencing work for parts sorting, and from 2030 the scope of work will be expanded to include parts assembly.