In footage uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday by U.S.-based robotics firm Boston Dynamics, which Hyundai acquired in 2021, Atlas performs a handstand before transitioning into an "L-sit," supporting its full body weight on its hands for several seconds.

The routine continues with smooth recovery movements as the robot returns upright and performs additional dynamic motions with little visible instability.

Atlas is equipped with human-scale hands featuring tactile sensing, which allows it to detect touch, and fully rotational joints. According to Hyundai, it can lift up to 50 kilograms and operate in temperatures ranging from minus 20 to 40 degrees Celsius.

In recent months, Boston Dynamics has been testing the final phase of the Atlas humanoid research platform, using high-intensity acrobatic trials to verify its control system before shifting to a production-ready model, according to Interesting Engineering.

Yoo Jiwoong, an analyst at DAOL Investment & Securities, told Bloomberg that the video was the first live demonstration of Atlas’s mass-produced version in motion and likely the clearest sign yet that Hyundai was nearing commercial-scale production of its humanoid robot.

Commercialization is central to Hyundai’s broader strategy to position itself as a mobility solutions provider as the global auto industry faces pressure from tariffs and rising Chinese competition.

The company plans to deploy Atlas at its manufacturing plants starting in 2028, including facilities in the U.S. state of Georgia.