[Edaily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] Autonomous mobile robot (AMR) companies, which started out with serving and cleaning robots, are now turning their attention to humanoid robots. While existing AMRs have been limited to the role of “moving” objects, these companies are now attempting to expand into the realm of “manipulation”—picking up, setting down, and sorting objects—by combining robotic arms with upper bodies.

According to the robotics industry on the 22nd, Bear Robotics—a subsidiary of LGELECTRONICS(066570)specializing in commercial robots—has signed an agreement to acquire Kinish Robotics, a humanoid robot startup based in Bristol, UK. The transaction is expected to be finalized within a few days following standard closing procedures.

Through this acquisition, Bear Robotics plans to expand into a Physical AI robot platform that encompasses everything from mobility to the execution of actual tasks by combining its autonomous driving and swarm control technologies with Kinish’s manipulation AI and humanoid capabilities.

Kinish is a robotics startup founded by Brennan Pierce, a former co-founder of Bear Robotics. The wheeled humanoid “KR1” developed by Kinish features a wheeled mobile base instead of legs and uses its upper body and arms to grasp and move objects. Founder Pierce is set to join Bear Robotics as Chief Robotics Officer (CRO) following the completion of the transaction and will continue to lead the development of the KR1 platform.

Bear Robotics will publicly demonstrate the KR1 alongside its AMR lineup at “Automate 2026,” North America’s largest robotics and automation exhibition, taking place in Chicago from the 22nd to the 25th. As this is the first public event following the acquisition announcement, it is expected to serve as an opportunity for Bear Robotics to present its vision for a Physical AI robot platform—encompassing serving, logistics, and humanoid robots—to the industry.

Bear Robotics is a company that made a name for itself with restaurant service robots. The company has accumulated technology for navigating indoor environments while avoiding people and obstacles, as well as for operating multiple robots simultaneously. According to the company, Bear Robotics has supplied approximately 16,000 autonomous robots to more than 5,000 sites in over 20 countries worldwide. Recently, it has been accelerating its expansion into the manufacturing and logistics markets by expanding its “Karti” lineup of industrial AMRs.

The Karti lineup is a prime example of Bear Robotics shifting its focus from service robots to industrial AMRs. The compact AMR “Karti 100” is designed for light- to medium-load transport, while the “Karti Low Profile” series consists of industrial AMRs capable of handling heavy loads ranging from 400 to 1,500 kg. When combined with Kinish’s manipulation technology, the scope of application can be expanded beyond mere transport to include actual tasks such as picking, placing, sorting, and transferring.

LGELECTRONICS’ investment is another factor driving Bear Robotics’ growth potential. Last year, LGELECTRONICS secured a controlling stake in Bear Robotics, laying the groundwork for expanding its commercial and industrial robotics business. From the perspective of LGELECTRONICS, which has been active in the home appliance and commercial robotics sectors, Bear Robotics’ autonomous navigation technology and experience in operating indoor service robots are expected to help expand into the automation of manufacturing, logistics, and commercial spaces. Bear Robotics has built a solid customer base by supplying AMR and Physical AI technologies to LGELECTRONICS, LG CNS, and other companies.

Similar trends are emerging in South Korea as well. EVERYBOT Inc.(270660), a robot vacuum manufacturer, reorganized its existing AI Convergence Technology Research Institute into the “Physical AI Research Institute” last March and identified the advancement of autonomous mobility platforms, research on service-oriented humanoid robots, and the internalization of robot foundation models as mid- to long-term goals. The company plans to expand its research scope to include humanoid and upper-body-driven service robot platforms, leveraging the indoor autonomous navigation technology and data accumulated through its cleaning robots.

EVERYBOT Inc. also has experience developing and supplying an autonomous navigation module for SK Intellix’s robot “Namu X” last year. The company integrated LiDAR-based SLAM, real-time spatial perception, AI-based object recognition, and obstacle avoidance algorithms into the module. EVERYBOT Inc. believes that such real-world autonomous navigation data could serve as training assets for future robot foundation models.

This trend demonstrates that the path to commercialization in the humanoid robot market may not necessarily begin with “bipedal locomotion.” While walking humanoids have the advantage of being able to move through the same spaces as humans, they face significant challenges that need to be addressed, such as stability, battery life, cost, and safety certification. In contrast, wheeled AMRs have already accumulated commercialization experience in indoor environments such as factories, logistics centers, restaurants, and hospitals. By combining a robotic arm and an upper body with these AMRs, the scope of automation can be expanded without significantly altering existing infrastructure.

Existing AMRs have traditionally excelled at automating specific stages of the logistics process—namely, transporting items to designated locations. However, when combined with a manipulator, their scope of work expands. They become capable of picking up items and loading them onto carts, placing them on shelves, sorting them, and even operating equipment controls. This could broaden their applications to include picking and packing in logistics centers, supplying parts on manufacturing floors, and delivering goods in hospitals, hotels, and commercial facilities.

A similar trend is evident in the global market. MiR, a Danish AMR company, has unveiled a mobile cobot product equipped with a robotic arm, while Agility Robotics, a humanoid robot developer, is highlighting the ability of its “Digit” robot to integrate with existing logistics automation systems. Kibnon, a Spanish AMR company, has also proposed a collaborative model in which AMRs and humanoid robots share roles on the manufacturing floor.

A robotics industry insider stated, “What matters in industrial settings is not whether a robot looks human, but whether it can reliably perform actual tasks,” adding, “The reason robotics companies with autonomous driving capabilities are adding arms and manipulation functions is ultimately to fill the final gaps in automation.”