Humanoid robot Atlas delivers match ball during Brazil v Norway FIFA World Cup game

The FIFA World Cup stage saw an unusual participant on Sunday: Atlas, an advanced humanoid robot from Boston Dynamics. The robot made its appearance at the New York New Jersey Stadium, stepping onto the pitch to deliver the official match ball to the referee just before halftime of the Brazil versus Norway round of 16 match.

Atlas is no stranger to complex physical feats, having previously showcased its abilities through dancing and parkour routines. At the World Cup, it even mimicked some of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland's signature goal celebrations, including his meditation pose. "We always looked at human skill as a way to like motivate us and challenge us to push forward what robots can do," said Alberto Rodriguez, director of robot behavior at Boston Dynamics.

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We always looked at human skill as a way to like motivate us and challenge us to push forward what robots can do

Delivering the ball at a packed World Cup venue presented unique hurdles. Standard Wi-Fi communication with Atlas was impossible due to the tens of thousands of fans using cellphones. To overcome this, a new communication channel was established using a radio device attached to the robot's back. "And grass has its own peculiarity," noted Rodriguez. "We had to change the way that Atlas learns to walk and learns to jump and run so that it's more robust."

Hyundai Motor, a tournament sponsor, presented the robot. The company is aggressively pursuing mass production, with plans to deploy robots at its US manufacturing plant in Georgia starting in 2028 to automate high-risk and repetitive tasks.

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And grass has its own peculiarity. We had to change the way that Atlas learns to walk and learns to jump and run so that it's more robust.