Ex-Boston Dynamics team launches Hugo, a companion robot running the first VLE model
Scobleizer · x · 2026-10-17
Dynamic Creatures, founded by former Boston Dynamics Chief Strategy Officer theermann and Farbod Farshidian (ex-RAI Institute), unveiled Hugo, its first human companion robot. The startup is Boston Dynamics' official entertainment and hospitality partner, with Marc Raibert as an angel investor.
- Hugo runs on the first Vision-Language-Expression (VLE) model, linking perception to movement, facial expression and gesture in real time, instead of repeating animatronic loops. The CTO helped give Atlas its natural walk.
- While robotics startups raised a record $18.6B in a single quarter this year—almost all aimed at factories and warehouses—Dynamic Creatures is going the opposite way, building character robots for theme parks, resorts and hotels with film studio partners.
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