Both Boston Dynamics and the RAI Institute were founded by Marc Raibert, former MIT professor and longtime Boston Dynamics CEO.
Established in 2022, the Institute continues Raibert’s research, enabling the exploration of cutting-edge robotics beyond commercial constraints.
Hyundai, which acquired Boston Dynamics in 2021, also funds the Institute, mirroring Toyota’s TRI. Boston Dynamics’ partnerships with TRI and the RAI Institute aim to enhance the electric Atlas humanoid’s learning, according to Techcrunch.
“We are living in an extremely exciting time for humanoid robot development. But for humanoids to be useful, they must be flexible enough to work in many different kinds of environments and perform tasks in a wide variety of applications,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, in a statement.