Marc Raibert (middle) spoke with editor Steve Crowe in a 2023 Robotics Summit & Expo keynote.
SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to amass the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) from Hyundai Motor Group, in accordance with a number of sources. Monetary phrases of the deal are unknown at the moment. The deal has been rumored for a few months, however it’s now being reviewed by the Committee on International Funding in the USA (CFIUS).
The RAI relies in Cambridge, Mass., whereas SoftBank is a Japanese tech conglomerate. The 2 firms have a historical past collectively. Marc Raibert based each Boston Dynamics Inc. and the RAI Institute. SoftBank owned Boston Dynamics from 2017 to 2021.
The RAI was based in 2022 as a part of Hyundai’s acquisition of Boston Dynamics. Along with that acquisition, Hyundai spun out the institute with an preliminary funding of greater than $400 million. That preliminary funding has ended, in accordance with a number of sources. RAI’s analysis spans robotic management, notion, manipulation, navigation, and AI to assist robots carry out complicated bodily duties. For instance, it developed the whole-body studying framework that allows the acrobatic actions showcased by Boston Dynamics’ new Atlas within the video under.
CFIUS opinions international investments in U.S. companies to find out their affect on nationwide safety. Led by the U.S. Division of the Treasury, CFIUS brings collectively a number of authorities businesses to display cross-border enterprise offers. It’s unknown how far alongside within the evaluation course of this deal is.
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“We don’t have something to share on this subject proper now,” the RAI Institute instructed The Robotic Report. “We’d nonetheless love to remain in contact and hold you within the loop when we’ve got information to share.”
The Robotic Report has additionally reached out to SoftBank however had not heard again at press time.
This deal additionally comes as SoftBank strikes towards its deliberate acquisition of ABB’s robotics enterprise for $5.3 billion. That acquisition was initially anticipated to shut by mid-to-late 2026.
ABB has a long time of expertise constructing industrial automation and robotics, whereas RAI has developed experience in AI. The mixture may pair ABB’s capabilities and put in base with RAI’s strengths in AI and analysis.
Hyundai said in July 2026 that its shareholders have been pursuing the acquisition of SoftBank’s remaining 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics after SoftBank exercised a “put” choice. Hyundai stated the transaction would strengthen collaboration with Boston Dynamics and assist its broader bodily AI technique.
Meet the brand new boss, identical because the previous boss
Raibert based Boston Dynamics in 1992 after pioneering dynamic-legged robotics at Carnegie Mellon college and MIT. He led the Waltham, Mass.-based firm because it developed a few of the world’s most recognizable robots, together with BigDog, Atlas, and Spot.
Google acquired Boston Dynamics in 2013 then bought it 4 years later to SoftBank for a reported $100 million. Hyundai Motor Group in 2021 acquired a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank in a deal that valued the corporate Boston Dynamics at $1.1 billion. SoftBank initially retained a 20% stake.
Raibert stepped down as Boston Dynamics CEO in January 2020 shortly after his seventieth birthday. However his robotics profession was removed from over with the launch of the RAI in 2022. It’s unknown what his position will probably be if the SoftBank-RAI deal closes.
Raibert has lengthy emphasised elementary robotics analysis. And that has labored out fairly effectively for him. However SoftBank’s possession of Boston Dynamics marked an necessary turning level for the corporate. Boston Dynamics started transitioning a long time of cutting-edge robotics analysis into business merchandise, beginning with the Spot quadruped.
If the deal closes, SoftBank will as soon as once more personal a chunk of Raibert’s robotics legacy, this time alongside an more and more formidable portfolio spanning industrial robots, warehouse automation, and AI.
Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert standing with the Atlas humanoid. | Credit score: Related Press
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