About Robotics and AI Institute
The Robotics and AI Institute (RAI Institute) is a research organization focused on advancing the foundations and applications of robotics and artificial intelligence. Its stated mission is to solve the most important and fundamental challenges in AI and robotics to enable future generations of intelligent machines that will help people live better lives.
The Institute was announced in 2022 as the Boston Dynamics AI Institute, backed by an initial investment of more than $400 million from Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics. It has since been established as the Robotics and AI Institute, with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Zurich, Switzerland. The Zurich location, led by Professor Marco Hutter of ETH Zurich, opened in early 2024 as the Institute’s European headquarters and focuses on long-horizon, high-impact research bridging fundamental science and real-world deployment.
RAI Institute organizes its research around several core areas. These include cognitive AI, athletic AI, organic hardware design and robot ethics, as described in the Institute’s research scientist postings. Public research listings also describe work in dexterous manipulation, learning-based control, data-driven models of physical interaction, navigation in complex environments and the social ethics of robotics. Learning control work emphasizes reinforcement learning, skill composition and adaptation to new environments, while physical-interaction modeling combines data-driven learning with physical modeling.
The Institute pursues a research agenda that spans both software and hardware. Its leadership has emphasized that meaningful breakthroughs require developing hardware and testing software in parallel, and that deep integration of mechanical systems with AI, along with interdisciplinary collaboration, is essential. Documented projects include a self-driving bicycle capable of autonomous jumps onto a table and a humanoid robot performing gymnastic-style movements, both developed using reinforcement learning techniques.
RAI Institute is building an international research environment. The Zurich site was established to conduct long-term research programs that allow researchers to tackle complex, open-ended problems beyond short project cycles, and it collaborates closely with academic institutions and industrial partners. A new Zurich laboratory designed to test robotic systems in simulated real-world environments was slated to open in summer 2025, aimed at developing mobile autonomous systems for diverse urban and natural settings.
The Institute’s culture is oriented toward ambitious, publication-driven research. Research scientists are expected to develop new ideas, collaborate on papers for worldwide conferences, apply modern learning algorithms to real-world problems and work with fellow researchers and engineers to build prototypes. The organization states that it provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type.
Additional information about the Institute’s research programs, projects and career opportunities is available through its official website and job postings.
