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Humanoid robot race heats up, Korea lags behind China and U.S.

Published: 12 May. 2025, 18:45

Tiangong Ultra, a humanoid robot, runs across the finish line first during the E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing on April 19. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Global companies are stepping up the development of humanoid robots, betting that the technology will reshape industrial workspaces and integrate cutting-edge advancements from mechanics to AI.

Hyundai Mobis, the parts manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Group, told institutional investors last month that it is developing components for humanoid robots.

The announcement comes as Boston Dynamics, the U.S.-based robotics firm owned by Hyundai, targets commercial deployment of its humanoid robot, Atlas, by 2028.

Hyundai Mobis is working on actuators, which serve as the mechanical muscles and joints of robots and account for roughly 40 percent of overall hardware costs.

Major global automakers are also entering the humanoid race. Tesla plans to manufacture at least 5,000 units of its Optimus robot this year for factory use.

BMW has begun training humanoid robots developed by Figure AI at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Mercedes-Benz announced in March that it had deployed Apollo robots, developed by U.S. firm Apptronik, at its factories in Germany and Hungary.

These companies aim to enhance factory automation by assigning more complex or repetitive tasks to humanoid robots.

At Hyundai Motor’s Asan plant, industrial robots already perform 90 percent of pressing operations and 80 percent of welding tasks.

But the interior assembly process — which involves intricate electronic installation — remains only 15 percent automated.

“Unlike traditional industrial robots, humanoids can autonomously perform multiple tasks,” said Lee Seo-hyun, a senior researcher at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute. “They also share key features with autonomous vehicles, allowing for potential synergy.”

Humanoid robots are on display at the launch ceremony of the K-Humanoid Alliance at the Plaza Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on April 10. [NEWS1]

Electronics manufacturers are also joining the effort.

LG Innotek announced on Monday that it had signed an agreement with Boston Dynamics to co-develop a vision-based detection system. LG Innotek will develop hardware vision sensors, while Boston Dynamics will handle the software.

Samsung Electronics completed its acquisition of robot maker Rainbow Robotics in March and is expected to accelerate the development of humanoid robots.

The global humanoid robot market, valued at $3.28 billion in 2024, is projected to grow to $66 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Despite the momentum, experts say Korea still lags behind the United States and China in humanoid robotics.

If Tesla meets its goal of producing 5,000 robots this year, it would mark the first commercial use of humanoid robots in industrial settings.

U.S. tech giants like Google and Meta are leveraging AI to advance their humanoid efforts.

China’s rapid progress has benefited from state-led initiatives such as "Made in China 2025." The State Administration for Market Regulation reported that China had 451,700 intelligent robotics companies as of 2024, up 206.7 percent from 2020.

The world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon took place last month in Beijing, with a robot named Tiangong Ultra completing the 21-kilometer (13-mile) course in two hours and 40 minutes.

Experts emphasize that real-world testing is crucial.

“The United States and China are seen as leaders because they deploy robots in actual industrial settings and improve them with field data,” said Hwang Myeon-jung, professor of mechanical and information engineering at the University of Seoul. “Korean companies, research institutions and the government must collaborate to move beyond lab testing and validate robots in real production environments.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY OH SAM-GWON [[email protected]]