Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter steps down after 30 years at the company

Boston Dynamics, the Massachusetts-based robotics company known for its four-legged robots and humanoids, is going through a leadership change. 

Robert Playter announced in an internal memo on Tuesday that he would be stepping down as the company’s chief executive, as first reported by A3. Amanda McMaster, the company’s chief financial officer, will stand in for the top job while the company looks for a replacement.  

Boston Dynamics sent TechCrunch the following statement, “Robert Playter is an icon of the global robotics industry, and the entire Boston Dynamics team wishes to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude for his leadership. From the earliest days of hopping robots, to the world’s first quadrupeds, to spearheading the entire humanoid industry, Playter made his mark as a pioneer of innovation. He transformed Boston Dynamics from a small research and development lab into a successful business that now proudly calls itself the global leader in mobile robotics. He will be sorely missed, but we hope he enjoys some well-deserved time off. Thanks Rob.”

Playter took the helm at Boston Dynamics in 2020, taking over from founder Marc Raibert. Playter worked at Boston Dynamics for 30 years, where he held other roles, including vice president of engineering and chief operating officer.  

Boston Dynamics was founded in 1992 by Raibert as a spinoff from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a professor. Google’s parent company Alphabet bought Boston Dynamics in 2013, before the company was sold to Japanese investing conglomerate SoftBank in 2017.

Hyundai, its current owner, acquired the company in 2021.

The robotics producer is best known for its quadruped robot, Spot, which the company commercialized in 2020 shortly after Playter took the helm. The company most recently announced Atlas, a humanoid robot.  

This piece has been updated to include commentary from Boston Dynamics.