Robotis is showing strong performance. It appears that LG Electronics, which holds a 7.5% stake in Robotis, has influenced the stock price by announcing its entry into the humanoid business.
Jo Joo-wan, CEO of LG Electronics, said, "Since the home domain is LG Electronics' major ground, we are proceeding with concepts such as household robots, household humanoids, or robot-type home appliances."
On the 8th (local time), Jo held a press conference in Las Vegas, USA, where the world's largest electronics exhibition, CES 2025, is taking place, stating, "Like a magic pouch in a fairy tale, LG Electronics has its own playbook and has prepared response methods according to scenarios." Regarding the robot business, he confidently described it as a definite future growth engine and mentioned plans to launch the mobile AI home 'Q9' in the second half of this year.
LG Electronics recorded its highest-ever sales last year. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of LG Electronics' consolidated sales over the past four years exceeds 10%.
At 1:16 PM on the 9th, Robotis was trading at 28,000 KRW, up 8.53% from the previous day.
Robotis has developed robot-specific actuators (Dynamixel) and autonomous mobile robots (Gaemi). This year is expected to be the period when sales will start in earnest.
Kim Byung-soo, CEO of Robotis, recently stated in his New Year's message, "We plan to launch the collaborative robot as scheduled," and "Sales are expected to begin from the second quarter." He added, "Rather than fully applying physical AI at launch, it will be a method that provides an environment for experimentation and development."
In October last year, Robotis unveiled the customized collaborative robot 'OpenManipulator-Y' for the first time at RoboWorld. It is expected to emphasize price competitiveness compared to other companies by applying its own actuator Dynamixel-Y. Physical AI, which has been jointly developed with MIT since last year, is also expected to be applied.
Robotis continues technology development in the promising field of physical AI, following generative AI. Physical AI is an essential function for robots to perform tasks in daily life.
He explained, "We are developing and preparing to supply arms tailored to the requirements of American companies," adding, "Many personnel who were developing AI are moving into the physical AI field, leading to the establishment of new companies, which are demanding new types of arms accordingly."
Kim said, "In the new year, we also plan to equip arms on outdoor autonomous mobile robots," and "Since robots can freely move indoors, such as opening doors, the scope of services is expected to expand further." He continued, "More than 80% of Robotis' sales come from exports, so the strong dollar situation is advantageous," emphasizing, "We will do our best to realize services such as collaborative robots and autonomous mobile robots this year and achieve good results."
Lee Ji-ho, a researcher at Meritz Securities, expected synergy effects from Robotis' collaboration with MIT. He explained, "Developing physical AI by modern robot companies, moving away from traditional industrial robots, is not a choice but a necessity," and added, "Robotis has implemented autonomous driving technology through vision sensors (cameras) in the AMR (Gaemi series)." He further noted, "Since physical AI in terms of mobility has been implemented, the next step is AI development for manipulators to expand form factors."
He assessed, "Collaboration with MIT could serve as a positive reference for Robotis' collaborative robot business," and "Joint development is a positive factor in various aspects."
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