"1 Trillion Won Investment" Companies Unite... "Aiming for Top Class with Specialized Sensory Technology" [Inside the Chinese Humanoid Ecosystem] ⑨

'K-Humanoid' Targets Niche Markets with Specialized Technology
Government and Industry Join Forces to Accelerate Humanoid Robot Development
Major Robot Launches Expected This Fall as Domestic Manufacturers Mobilize
Commercialization Push Gains Mo

Editor's NoteAt school sports events in Shenzhen, China, it is not uncommon to see parents bringing robots. In China, robots have become deeply integrated into daily life, to the extent that a Robot Olympics is held. This landscape is supported by an ecosystem that makes it easy to manufacture robots. In Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen, it is possible to procure all the parts needed to build a robot in just one day. Robots produced in this way are then deployed to factories and other sites, creating a virtuous cycle that boosts productivity. In contrast, in Korea, robots remain mostly in laboratories and as prototypes, with the country struggling to even reach the starting line of industrialization. Asia Economy has examined the structure and speed of the humanoid robot ecosystem on-site in Shenzhen, China. As the world has already entered the race for commercialization, this series explores the challenges Korea has missed and urgently seeks solutions for how to reestablish industrial strategies to avoid falling behind.

Although commercialization has been slow, Korea’s robot technology development has continued steadily. After the debut of Honda’s humanoid robot ‘ASIMO’ in Japan in the early 2000s, Korea also saw the emergence of ‘Hubo’ by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and ‘Maru’ by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Since then, various robot manufacturing companies have appeared, but as momentum stalled, Korea’s entry into the commercialization market was delayed. Starting this year, there is a growing movement in Korea to form a robot industry ecosystem and become a ‘fast follower’.

The 'Hubo' series by Rainbow Robotics. Rainbow Robotics.

‘K-Humanoid’ Aims for Niche Markets with Specialized Technology

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced its plan to secure growth engines for new industries such as robotics at the 1st National Artificial Intelligence Committee last September. The goal is to elevate humanoid technology competitiveness to a world-class level by 2027. In May of this year, robot technology was newly designated as a ‘national strategic advanced technology’. The ministry launched the ‘K-Humanoid Alliance’, a consortium centered on companies, bringing together about 40 organizations including leading domestic robot companies and research institutes. The ministry has pledged to invest 1 trillion won by 2030, prioritizing support for collaborative technology development projects.

Organization Chart of the K-Humanoid Alliance. Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The ‘Global TOP Strategic Research Group’ led by the Ministry of Science and ICT also selected a robot support project this year. Under the leadership of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, 22 government-funded research institutes, academia, overseas universities, robot and AI companies, and associations are collaborating. Park Chanhoon, head of the Autonomous Growth AI Humanoid Strategic Research Group at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, said, “An era is coming when humanoid robots will be part of everyday life,” adding, “Our goal is to establish a national foundation to prepare for that era over the next five years.” A total of 219.4 billion won will be invested in the three-year research project.

The strategic research group aims to showcase unique Korean technology by applying and combining industrial technologies that each organization already possesses. Park emphasized, “With the technology we have, we can catch up very quickly,” and added, “For example, we aim to become ‘top class’ in sensory technology.” The plan is to further develop actuator and tactile sensor technologies already held by domestic companies, and use these as differentiating factors to compete with American and Chinese firms.

Robot Manufacturers Mobilize... Major Robot Launches This Fall

Humanoid robot 'Egris' developed by Robross. Robross.

Starting in the second half of the year, domestic robot manufacturers are preparing to launch humanoid robots. The K-Humanoid Alliance plans to first introduce a ‘semi-humanoid robot’ with robotic hands and an upper body, aiming to deploy it to industrial sites. While these robots have limitations in walking compared to full-body bipedal humanoid robots, they offer the advantage of rapid deployment to industrial sites for specialized tasks. As Korea is chasing the United States and China, the goal is to pursue industrialization efficiently in a short period of time. Han Jaekwon, CTO of Arobot and professor at Hanyang University, said, “This year, we will first unveil a semi-humanoid robot equipped with wheels,” adding, “After its release, we plan to deploy it to various manufacturing sites.”

The key challenge for domestic robot manufacturers is the development of ‘bipedal humanoid robots’ at the level of those in China and the United States. With the government and companies rushing into development this year, there are expectations that tangible results will soon emerge. Products developed by domestic companies such as Rainbow Robotics, Robotis, and Arobot already exist, but they remain at the research and educational product stage. Due to the lack of commercialization, the price per robot is still in the range of 100 million to 300 million won.

With a lack of a domestic supply chain, Korean robot manufacturing startups are striving to accelerate development by self-supplying everything from robots to components. The humanoid robot ‘Egris-C’ developed by Robross will begin customer deliveries this fall. The selling price is about 150 million won. Park Hyunjun, CTO of Robross, said, “Within this year, we plan to sell research-use bipedal humanoid robots at the level of Chinese robots,” adding, “Next, our goal is to deploy actual robots to logistics and manufacturing processes for proof of concept (POC).” He predicted, “Within a year, humanoid robots will start appearing all over Korea,” and added, “It will take about three to four years to develop home-use humanoid robots.” Wirobotics also recently unveiled the upper body of its general-purpose humanoid robot ‘Alex’, which features its proprietary robotic hand technology.

Efforts to commercialize humanoid robots are also underway. Robot manufacturer Robotis is in discussions to supply its self-developed humanoid robot ‘AI Walker’ to OpenAI, with plans to deliver within this year. Additionally, the company plans to supply 100 AI Walker units to domestic industrial sites in the second half of this year, and to expand to mass production of more than 200 units next year.