When I say that I went hands-on with the new Boston Dynamics Atlas robot, I mean that I actually held hands with it. This humanoid robot, which CNET just awarded the Best Robot of CES Award, is one of the most advanced in the world, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get up close and personal with it.
This product version of the robot, which is set to be shipped to Hyundai factories imminently to start working, has been the talk of CES this year. The specific Atlas robot I encountered was a static model that wasn't turned on or fully operational. Our interactions were, therefore, sadly one-sided. Still, I ran my hands over its soft-touch plastic shell and gently prodded at its finger joints, wondering how it would feel if they gripped me back.
Atlas' hands are one of the most human things about it. Katie Collins/CNET
People tend to have varying feelings about humanoid robots -- understandable given that they are built to some degree in our image, while also usually being stronger than us, with "brains" that we don't fully understand. Atlas definitely evokes contradictory emotions for me -- even more so when I stood face-to-face with it.
I'm in awe of the engineering, a little fearful of its capabilities, hesitant about what it could mean for the future of humanity and charmed by its design and styling. The periwinkle blue iteration of Atlas that I met on the show floor at CES 2026 almost bears more resemblance to a Dyson product than it does the industrial robots that defined Boston Dynamics' early days, when it was best known for its work with DARPA.
Watch this: Atlas Has Left the Lab! In-Person Demo of Boston Dynamics Humanoid 04:00
"There's a lot of really specific things about this robot that probably look a little weird," said Zachary Jackowski, Boston Dynamics VP and general manager of Atlas. He pointed to the legs, which he described as "like nothing anyone else was doing."
Atlas' thighs are narrow set and in line with the torso, while the calves are wider set, attached to their upper counterparts with a circular joint. This robot is, in fact, all subtle curves and soft lines. There are no harsh edges or stark angles.
During a year when CES has been flooded with humanoid robots, Atlas definitely does stand out due to its design. It appears both less classically human and less industrial than some of its peers, while also lacking the often intimidating, featureless faces they tend to exhibit. Instead, it has two low-set cameras resembling eyes placed where you'd usually expect a mouth to be. Its face is a perfect flat circle, defined by an LED halo that gives it a somewhat Pixar lamp effect.
Atlas' face is anthropomorphic without being human. Katie Collins/CNET
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