Hyundai Motor Group said on the 16th that it appointed Milan Kovac, a world-class expert in artificial intelligence (AI), Robotics, and self-driving, as an adviser to the group and named him an outside director of Boston Dynamics.
According to Hyundai Motor Group, Kovac has worked for more than 20 years in software and hardware and AI-based Robotics systems. In particular, after joining Tesla in 2016, he oversaw development of the Autopilot self-driving system and the Humanoid Robot Optimus until recently.
From 2019 to 2022, Kovac led development of the second-generation model through Autopilot software engineering. He was credited with influencing the industry by developing self-driving technology centered on Computer Vision and integrating hardware based on in-house chips. Since 2022, as Optimus engineering director, he also oversaw Humanoid Robot development. He is the person who applied vision-based "end-to-end" learning, which had been used in vehicles, to robots.
With this hire, Hyundai Motor Group plans to accelerate Boston Dynamics' AI-based Robotics innovation. It aims to speed up mid- to long-term strategies and commercialization for its innovative robot lineup, including Spot, Stretch, and Atlas.
Kovac will provide AI and engineering strategy advice to Hyundai Motor Group and will explore applying advanced AI and Robotics technologies by leveraging the group's industrial base across manufacturing, logistics, and services in the industrial ecosystem.
Kovac said, "Boston Dynamics is a symbolic company at the heart of the Robotics ecosystem that has inspired countless engineers," adding, "Coupled with Hyundai Motor Group's strong industrial base, it has a unique competitive edge to lead the Robotics field, so I look forward to the journey."