CJ Logistics, Korea's First 'AI Humanoid Logistics Robot' Development Initiative Underway

Signed MOU with Rainbow Robotics
Collaboration on Developing Humanoid Robots Specialized for Logistics
Gradual Commercialization Following On-site Verification at the End of This Year

CJ Logistics is set to become the first in the domestic logistics industry to develop an 'AI-based humanoid robot.' They have also independently developed 'Agentic AI' technology, which enables autonomous decision-making and actions, introducing robots that think and move like humans into logistics sites. The plan is to establish an AI-based autonomous operation system beyond simple automation.

On the 16th, at the CJ Logistics headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Kim Jeong-hee, head of the TES Logistics Technology Research Institute at CJ Logistics (left), and Heo Jeong-woo, head of the Rainbow Robotics Corporate Research Institute, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a "Business Agreement for Joint Development and Commercialization of AI Humanoid Robots." Photo by CJ Logistics

On the 17th, CJ Logistics announced that on the 16th, it signed a business agreement at its headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with Rainbow Robotics, a robot platform specialist company, to jointly develop and commercialize AI humanoid robots for logistics.

Through this agreement, both companies will jointly promote the development and commercialization of AI-based robot solutions optimized for the characteristics of the logistics industry. The focus is on developing 'humanoid robots' that can replace repetitive and simple manual tasks, with the core goal of implementing innovative technologies applicable to actual logistics sites.

Due to the nature of the logistics industry, which handles numerous types of products daily, humanoid robots that think and act like humans are considered the optimal solution compared to general automation equipment. They have the advantage of not requiring changes to the logistics center structure to fit the equipment and offer a wide range of tasks they can perform.

Rainbow Robotics will provide various robot hardware technologies such as collaborative robots, mobile dual-arm robots, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and develop a robot platform suitable for CJ Logistics' logistics environment. They will also play a role in enhancing technological completeness through on-site demonstrations.

CJ Logistics will identify manual processes in logistics centers where robots can be utilized and verify the technological effectiveness through testing. Additionally, they will directly develop AI-based software technology to enable robots to perform tasks and further enhance functions that can be linked with Rainbow Robotics' robot platform.

Alongside this, they will also develop Agentic AI technology. Unlike traditional AI that operates based on commands, Agentic AI autonomously thinks and makes decisions through real-time data analysis. CJ Logistics plans to establish an autonomous operation system for the entire logistics process using this technology.

After completing the robot behavior algorithms through AI software development and data collection, both companies plan to start on-site demonstration projects from the end of this year. The collaborative outcomes derived from these demonstrations will be sequentially applied to CJ Logistics' major logistics centers, with full-scale commercialization to follow.

Kim Jeong-hee, head of the TES Logistics Technology Research Institute at CJ Logistics, said, "This agreement is significant as it is the first domestic attempt to deploy AI robots that autonomously make optimal decisions and move beyond simple automation in logistics sites. We will lead the next-generation logistics paradigm through the convergence of AI and robotics."

Heo Jeong-woo, head of the corporate research institute at Rainbow Robotics, said, "This will be the starting point for developing AI humanoid logistics robots that function as actual work agents beyond merely assisting workers. Based on the technology accumulated in the logistics field, we will expand the humanoid platform into various industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and services in the future."