Hyundai aims to automate 40% of his new plant in the US. THE KEY TO GET IT: ATLAS HUMANoid Robots

Robots have been in the automobile industry for decades. They have welded, pressed and assembled pieces without rest. But despite that long career, many tasks were still in human hands. That is starting to change. Robots are less and less clumsy: They are more skilled, more versatile and, most importantly, much cheaper to manufacture. And that opens the door to a new phase.

Hyundai wants to be in charge of that change. On your new plant HMGMA (Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America), located on the outskirts of Savannah (Georgia, USA), the company has proposed to automate 40% of the vehicle assembly process before the end of 2025. According to Nikkei Asiathe objective is to transform this factory into an intelligent environment, where artificial intelligence and data are key from logistics to the final assembly.

A connected and flexible ecosystem. The plant is designed not only as a assembly line, but as a demonstration of everything Hyundai is able to do with technology. The brand defines it as “a highly connected, automated and flexible manufacturing system”, prepared to adapt to changes in demand and optimize each phase of the process.

That is why it is no coincidence that starts focused on the production of electric and hybrid vehicles, with an estimated initial capacity of 100,000 units a year, which will grow to 500,000 when it is at full performance. The Metaplant aspires to become one of the referents of the automobile industry of the present and the future.

Atlas enters the scene. In that technological deployment, the focus is on a very concrete protagonist: Atlas, Boston Dynamics’s humanoid robot. It is not any robot. It is a completely electric model, designed to move as a human and work in the same space as humans.

Atlas is the successor of the famous hydraulic model that we saw mortal somersaults. But this time, the approach is another. It is prepared to lift heavy objects, install parts and adapt to what happens around you in real time. Hyundai describes it As a robot with “athletic intelligence”, and that translates into sensors, algorithms and a structure designed for complex tasks that one person could only do.

Boston Dynamics is already part of the Hyundai group. This movement makes sense because Boston Dynamics is not just any partner: It is part of the Hyundai group since 2021. Since the company was made, the South Korean firm has been integrating its technology within its vision of “progress for humanity.” A vision that includes autonomous cars, urban air mobility, robotics in logistics and, of course, new ways of manufacturing.

Boston Dynamics has been working with biped and quadruped robots for years, and now faces the challenge of taking them to the commercial field. If Atlas works in this plant, it will mark a before and after. Because it is no longer just impressing in a viral video: it is about a robot being useful and productive on a large scale.

What tasks will the robots perform? Hyundai has not detailed all the works that Atlas will assume, but, according to the aforementioned Asian newspaper, it has confirmed some: move heavy objects, install doors in vehicles and collaborate in physical tasks that require strength and precision.

The objective is clear: to free human operators from repetitive or demanding works. Now, that does not mean that Atlas is just as agile as an expert operator. For now, it is not. Just see some assembly line videos To ask ourselves if robots will be as skilled as humans.

Atlas will not be the only one in the plant. They will also deploy The well -known spotdog -shaped robots that also manufactures Boston Dynamics. Its function will be to monitor production lines, inspect bodies and identify possible structural defects. And next to you they will live more classic automation systems: welding robots, presses and heavy machinery.

A context marked by the tariff war. This deployment does not happen in a vacuum. It arrives in the middle of the commercial war between the United States and China. The administration Trump has imposed a 145% tariff To many products from China and maintains a base rate of 10% for most commercial partners, including South Korea.

That is why Hyundai has decided to bet on American territory. Has announced An investment of 21,000 million dollars in the United States over the next four years. A strategy that seeks to protect its position in the North American market and, at the same time, gain margin of maneuver against geopolitical uncertainty.

Of course, automating more does not necessarily mean hiring more. Hyundai’s expansion is accompanied by strong robotization. And that raises questions about employment. Will less operators be hired? Will new roles emerge within factories? The advance is indisputable, although it does not guarantee new jobs.

Images | Hyundai

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