Boston Dynamics Opens Metaplant Application Center to Train Atlas Humanoid Robots

Boston Dynamics has opened its Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC) at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America near Savannah, Ga. The facility is a testbed and training center for integrating Atlas humanoid robots into Hyundai's automotive manufacturing operations.

Zack Jackowski, chief product and technology officer at Boston Dynamics, said the company and Hyundai are 'pioneering physical AI at enterprise scale.' He added that RMAC supports a strategy to optimize supply chain, production, testing, and deployment for Atlas.

Jackowski told The Robot Report that earlier humanoid trials were time-boxed deployments. They focused on lessons needed for a scaled-up presence, including operational realities and the right mix of off-site, on-site, and simulation data.

RMAC is the result of those lessons, he said. It is a permanent facility focused on data collection and application testing, operating in close coordination with the auto plant.

Jackowski described RMAC as a 'Robot Behavior Factory.' It takes real parts, fixtures, and workcells, adds Atlas robots and skilled pilots, and produces diverse, high-quality data for behavior training. The facility is the anchor for capabilities needed to deploy Atlas globally.

Editor's note: Brendan Schulman, VP of policy and government relations at Boston Dynamics, will speak on a panel at RoboBusiness 2026 on Oct. 20-21 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Robotics Metaplant Application Center trains on real parts

Atlas is learning from teleoperation, reinforcement learning in simulation, and Universal Manipulation Interface (UMI) devices, Jackowski said.

At RMAC, Boston Dynamics is training robots on real-world tasks such as preparing logistics and sequencing automotive parts before placing them in order for assembly.

Jackowski said this requires dexterous manipulation because car parts must be handled directly, have complex grasping requirements, often need bimanual manipulation, and involve extraction from shipping packaging and insertion into high-density cubbies.

He added that the biggest finding is that design assumptions for the production version of Atlas have been very close to right. The company is learning more about applications, including modifying fixtures and packaging for humanoids, collecting data in production environments, and building support processes.

Boston Dynamics plans to expand to component assembly by 2030. Over time, Atlas will take on repetitive motions and strenuous work such as lifting heavy loads.

Hyundai, Boston Dynamics plan further expansion

The Metaplant Application Center follows the robotics and AI strategy announced at CES 2026. Hyundai said it will deploy Atlas across its global network, starting with 25,000 units at Hyundai Motor and Kia plants over the next few years.

Boston Dynamics has moved some staff from Waltham, Mass., to Savannah, Ga., and is hiring across departments. The first phase is operational at HMGMA, but expansion is already under way.

Next year, operations will move into a new building that will expand RMAC about 10 times. Boston Dynamics said the facility will support further preparation of Atlas for automotive deployments, and it plans to explore other industries next year.

The company is in discussions with several customers of its Spot quadruped and Stretch trailer-unloading robot in manufacturing, aerospace, semiconductors, logistics, food and beverage, and life sciences.

Jackowski said Spot data is useful for understanding industrial facilities, a rare data type. The bigger aspect is institutional learning at customers on how to deploy, integrate, and manage robot fleets.

Boston Dynamics expects to scale data collection and other tasks to continue training Atlas through 2027. Jackowski said SoftBank's acquisition of the Robotics and AI Institute from Hyundai will have no effect on Atlas development. He said BD and RAI have been separate organizations with separate goals, and RMAC's industrial-scale data and policy evaluations will increase velocity.

Humanoid race moves to mass production

Hyundai said it will build a U.S. factory that can manufacture up to 30,000 robots annually by 2028. Other humanoid developers are also preparing for mass production.

1X Technologies has begun producing its NEO robot in Hayward, Calif., and claims its San Carlos, Calif., factory will scale to more than 100,000 units by late 2027.

Agility's RoboFab in Fremont, Calif., is designed to produce 10,000 Digit robots per year. Engine AI's factory in Shenzhen, China, is working toward 10,000 units annually.

Tesla has converted its Fremont plant from Model S and X vehicles for a target of more than 50,000 Optimus robots per year, plus a new Gigafactory in Texas with an annual target of 10 million robots. Ubtech aims for 10,000 robots per year at its facility in Liuzhou, China.