Boston Dynamics, the Massachusetts-based robotics company known for its four-legged robots and humanoids, plans to change its leadership team.
Robert Player announced in an internal memo on Tuesday that he would step down as the company’s chief executive officer, A3 first reported. Amanda McMaster, the company’s chief financial officer, will serve in the top role while the company searches for a replacement.
Boston Dynamics sent TechCrunch a statement saying, “Robert Player is an icon in the global robotics industry, and the entire team at Boston Dynamics would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for his leadership. From the early hopping robots to the world’s first quadrupeds, to spearheading the entire humanoid industry. Throughout his career, Player made his mark as a pioneer in innovation. He transformed Boston Dynamics from a small research and development lab into a successful business that now proudly calls itself the world leader in mobile robotics. We will miss him, but we hope he gets a well-deserved break, thank you. ”
Player took over the reins of Boston Dynamics from founder Mark Lybert in 2020. Player spent 30 years at Boston Dynamics, holding positions including vice president of engineering and chief operating officer.
Boston Dynamics was founded in 1992 as a spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Mr. Raibert was a professor. Google’s parent company Alphabet acquired Boston Dynamics in 2013, and the company was later sold to Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank in 2017.
Current owner Hyundai acquired the company in 2021.
The robot maker is best known for its four-legged robot Spot, which it commercialized in 2020, shortly after Playter took the helm. The company recently announced Atlas, a humanoid robot.
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This article has been updated with commentary from Boston Dynamics.
