Boston Dynamics, the Massachusetts-based robotics firm celebrated for its quadruped and humanoid machines, is undergoing a shift in leadership. On Tuesday, Robert Playter revealed in an internal memo that he will be stepping down from his role as chief executive. Amanda McMaster, the company’s chief financial officer, will serve as interim CEO while a permanent successor is sought.

Playter assumed leadership of Boston Dynamics in 2020, succeeding founder Marc Raibert. He dedicated three decades to the company, previously holding positions such as vice president of engineering and chief operating officer.

The company was established in 1992 by Raibert as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he served as a professor. Its ownership has changed hands several times: Alphabet, Google’s parent company, purchased Boston Dynamics in 2013, before it was sold to the Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank in 2017. Hyundai, the current owner, acquired the firm in 2021.

Boston Dynamics is widely recognized for its quadruped robot, Spot, which was commercialized in 2020 shortly after Playter became CEO. More recently, the company introduced Atlas, a humanoid robot.