Boston Dynamics opened the Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) on September 21, 2026, at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America outside Savannah, Georgia, embedding its Atlas humanoid robot inside a live automotive manufacturing environment for the first time1,2.
The facility trains Atlas on real production tasks rather than laboratory simulations, starting with parts logistics, sorting, and sequencing — preparing automotive components and arranging them in the correct order before assembly reaches the line. Hyundai Motor has set a target of 25,000 humanoid robot units across Hyundai and Kia facilities globally, backed by plans for a dedicated U.S. production facility capable of building 30,000 robots annually.
From parkour demos to parts logistics
"Together with Hyundai Motor Group, we are pioneering physical AI at enterprise scale," said Zack Jackowski, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Boston Dynamics. The RMAC launch marks a deliberate shift from demonstration toward planned industrial deployment.
Hyundai's published roadmap calls for initial Atlas deployment at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in 2028, with component assembly targeted by 2030, subject to technology validation, operational readiness, and business requirements. Over time, Atlas is intended to take on heavy lifting and repetitive tasks that take a physical toll on workers, though human workers are expected to remain involved in operating, training, and maintaining the robotic systems.
The current RMAC setup is phase one. Next year, the training center will move into a new building on the Hyundai campus that is ten times larger. Boston Dynamics is also discussing with customers who already use its Spot and Stretch robots to scale data collection and continue training Atlas by 2027, and plans to examine how Atlas can help in other fields.
Atlas specifications and autonomy
Atlas stands 1.9 meters tall, weighs 90 kilograms, has 56 degrees of freedom, and a maximum reach of 2.3 meters. Its instantaneous lifting capacity is 50 kilograms, with a sustained capacity of 30 kilograms and a four-hour battery life. Boston Dynamics confirms that Atlas navigates to a charging station and swaps its own battery autonomously. The robot's operating temperature range spans -20°C to 40°C.
Boston Dynamics showcased Atlas at CES 2026 earlier this year. The RMAC opening follows Vector Wire's prior reporting that Hyundai is exploring deployment of Atlas at its Czech manufacturing facility, positioning Europe as the next proving ground after the United States[2]. Alphabet-owned Intrinsic simultaneously released its robotics software platform under a permissive open-source license, drawing a contrast with Boston Dynamics' proprietary, vertically integrated approach[1].
ANALYSIS The 25,000-unit target and 30,000-unit annual production capacity represent a factory-scale commitment that ties Hyundai Motor's manufacturing strategy directly to humanoid robotics, with the 2028–2030 deployment timeline providing concrete milestones against which progress can be measured.