Boston Dynamics CTO: Real-World Robot Deployment Requires Customer Understanding and Industry Scale
Zachary Jackowski, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Boston Dynamics, explains that building an extraordinary robot is only the beginning; real success comes from making it reliable, useful, and scalable for custo…
2026
What Happened
For decades, robotics has been defined by breakthrough demos—machines that walk, balance, lift, navigate, and astonish. But the harder challenge begins after the applause: making robots reliable enough for customer sites, practical enough for daily operations, and scalable enough to create real value. Jackowski’s view is direct: building an extraordinary machine is only the beginning.
“The thing I’m most proud of over my time at Boston Dynamics has been getting the Spot product to the point where customers use it for real work, and like it enough to scale their fleets to many tens of Spots.”
Hyundai Motor Group's scale enables Boston Dynamics to industrialize advanced robots like Atlas. Jackowski notes that turning a complex machine into something scalable requires application insight, manufacturing context, supplier depth, and real deployment opportunities—things that are not possible at a smaller organization.
Why this matters
Boston Dynamics' transition from research to commercial products, supported by Hyundai Motor Group's scale, demonstrates how robotics is moving beyond demonstrations to solve real-world problems, a key area for future mobility and automation.
Terms in This Story
- Spot
- A four-legged robot developed by Boston Dynamics for commercial applications in various industries.
- Atlas
- A bipedal humanoid robot being developed by Boston Dynamics for industrial use.
- Physical AI
- Artificial intelligence integrated into physical systems, enabling robots to perceive and act in the real world.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.