The Korean auto giant, Hyundai, acquired Boston Dynamics – an Ai and robotics firm – at the end of 2020. The company was previously owned by Google and SoftBank. Today Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics announced the launch of the Boston Dynamics AI Institute.
Boston Dynamics main aim is to research and make advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and intelligent machines. The firm has several commercial robots like Spot and Stretch.
The newly created entity, Boston Dynamics AI Institute, will receive an initial investment of over $400 million from both partnering companies and will be led by Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics. The institute will be headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Kendall Square.
“Our mission is to create future generations of advanced robots and intelligent machines that are smarter, more agile, perceptive and safer than anything that exists today,” said Raibert. “The unique structure of the Institute — top talent focused on fundamental solutions with sustained funding and excellent technical support — will help us create robots that are easier to use, more productive, able to perform a wider variety of tasks, and that are safer working with people.”
Combining the best features of university research labs and corporate development labs, the Institute will be working in four core technical areas: cognitive AI, athletic AI, and organic hardware design, as well as ethics and policy.