Overview
- Hyundai showcased Boston Dynamics’ Atlas at CES and says it will begin parts-sequencing work at its Savannah, Georgia plant by 2028, with more complex tasks targeted by 2030.
- Hyundai also outlined a goal to build a facility capable of producing 30,000 robots a year by 2028, signaling plans for large-scale deployment.
- Elon Musk said at WEF 2026 that Tesla aims to sell Optimus to the public by the end of 2027, with prototypes already performing basic tasks and training underway in Austin and Fremont.
- Barclays estimates the humanoid market at $2–$3 billion today, rising to at least $40 billion by 2035, while Morgan Stanley projects 10% of U.S. households could own a humanoid by 2050.
- Hyundai’s labor union warned of a potential employment shock, and UBTech said its Walker S2 humanoids reach only 30%–50% of a human worker’s productivity, reinforcing questions about near-term efficiency.