Waltham robotics giant Boston Dynamics partners with Google DeepMind on AI-driven Atlas humanoid

Like the Scarecrow longing for a brain in “The Wizard of Oz,” robots at Boston Dynamics may soon become smarter.

The Waltham-based company, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of advanced robots, announced a partnership with Google DeepMind to imbue its next-generation robot, Atlas, with a new level of artificial intelligence.

Executives from Boston Dynamics and Google unveiled the partnership last month at the Consumer Electronics Show 2026 in Las Vegas, a showcase for the latest advances in technology.

“The strategic partnership will focus on enabling humanoids to complete a wide variety of industrial tasks,” Boston Dynamicsthe company said in a blog post, “and is expected to become a driving force of manufacturing transformation, beginning in the automotive industry. The joint research effort, expected to kick off in the coming months, will be conducted at both companies.”

Boston Dynamics announced its intention to build a commercial humanoid in 2024 after it became clear that advances in AI held the potential for swift progress in the robot industry. Google DeepMind has been developing Gemini Robotics, an AI model built on Google’s large-scale Gemini AI model that is designed to allow robots of any shape and size to perceive, reason, use tools and interact with humans.

“For more than 30 years, Boston Dynamics has been building some of the world’s most advanced robots,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, in a company statement. “Atlas is going to revolutionize the way industry works, and it marks the first step toward a long-term goal we have dreamed about since we were children – useful robots that can walk into our homes and help make our lives safer, more productive and more fulfilling.”

During an onstage presentation, Carolina Parada, senior director of robotics at Google DeepMind, said that the partnership aims “to develop the world’s most advanced robot foundation model to fulfill the promise of true general-purpose human needs.”

Atlas learns new tasks quickly, adapts to dynamic environments, lifts heavy loads and works autonomously with minimal supervision. In many respects, it is more versatile than humans, with joints, for example, that rotate 360 degrees, for example.

“60 Minutes” provided a vivid demonstration of Atlas’s capabilities (and limitations) in a segment shot at Boston Dynamics and at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.

Robots developed by Boston Dynamics, located off I-95 north of Trapelo Rd., are widely known for their feats of physical versatility.

Hyundai Motor Group, Boston Dynamics’ majority shareholder, is preparing to deploy tens of thousands of Boston Dynamics’ robots into its own manufacturing facilities. The company also recently announced a $26 billion investment in its U.S. operations, including plans to build a new robotics factory capable of producing 30,000 robots per year.

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