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When I say I tested the new Boston Dynamics Atlas robot, I mean I actually used it. This humanoid robot, to which CNET has just awarded the CES Best Robot Awardis one of the most advanced in the world, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to discover it up close.
This version of the robot, which should be shipped to Hyundai factories soon to start working, has been the talk of the town. THESE This year. The specific Atlas robot I encountered was a static model that was not powered on or fully operational. Our interactions were therefore unfortunately one-sided. Still, I ran my hands over its soft-touch plastic shell and gently nudged the knuckles of its fingers, wondering what it would feel like if they held me back.
Atlas’s hands are one of the most human things.
People tend to have varied feelings about humanoid robots – understandable given that they are built to some extent in our image, while also generally being stronger than us, with “brains” that we don’t fully understand. Atlas definitely evokes conflicting emotions for me – even more so when I come face to face with him.
I’m impressed by the engineering, a little worried about its capabilities, hesitant about what it might mean for the future of humanity, and charmed by its design and style. The periwinkle blue iteration of Atlas that I encountered at the show at CES 2026 looks almost more like a Dyson product than the industrial robots that defined the early days of Boston Dynamics, when it was best known for its work with DARPA.
Watch this: Atlas has left the laboratory! In-Person Demonstration of the Boston Dynamics Humanoid
“There are a lot of very specific things about this robot that probably seem a little weird,” said Zachary Jackowski, vice president of Boston Dynamics and general manager of Atlas. He showed off the legs, which he described as “not like anything anyone else did.”
Atlas’ thighs are narrow and in line with the torso, while the calves are wider, attached to their upper counterparts by a circular joint. This robot is, in fact, all subtle curves and soft lines. There are no hard edges or sharp corners.
In a year where CES was flooded with humanoid robots, Atlas definitely stands out with its design. He appears both less classically human and less industrial than some of his peers, while lacking the often intimidating, featureless faces they tend to present. Instead, it has two low, eye-like cameras placed where you’d usually expect a mouth to be. His face is a perfect flat circle, defined by a halo of LEDs that gives him a slightly Pixar lamp effect.
Atlas’ face is anthropomorphic without being human.
I asked Jackowski why Boston Dynamics decided to be so non-human with this version of its humanoid. “Well, he’s not a human,” he said. “It gives a bad first impression about a robot if it pretends to be something it’s not.”
Particularly in the early days of humanoids, he added, robots will not have intelligence comparable to humans. People should look at it and see it for what it is: a tool to perform tasks safely and efficiently.
In fact, most design decisions were made to keep Atlas as simple, scalable and secure as possible, Jackowski said. I note that there is a certain irony in thinking that a humanoid robot is so simple, given the complexity of the technology and development process to bring Atlas to life.
The key to simplifying things, Jackowski said, is having a strong enough grasp of the technology to “accomplish the complex thing of building a humanoid robot” but then being able to take it apart and understand that you can use fewer computers and actuators and still get the same results.
And it’s essential to Boston Dynamics that Atlas is seen as simple. After all, this is a general-purpose humanoid, which could potentially be sent anywhere to fulfill all sorts of roles. Jackowski calls him the “ultimate generalist.”
Atlas’ strength and repairability set him apart from other humanoids.
Simplicity aside, there are aspects of Atlas that Jackowski says set him apart from the other humanoids at the show. “The repairability of this robot is incredibly good,” he said. “The execution time is incredibly good. The strength is like nothing.”
After working in Hyundai’s manufacturing plants, Atlas’ career path ultimately involves moving through many of the same industrial environments that Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot works in, before moving to transportation tables in the service industry and ultimately at home. The robot will evolve by then, Jackowski said. However, this could be a first look at the type of humanoid that will eventually be our roommate.
It’s far away, though, which is probably for the best. As I look at Atlas, who I assume is about the same height as my husband, I have the feeling that, as impressive as Atlas is, I’m still not ready to welcome him.
