[Edaily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] “This collaboration with LGELECTRONICS goes beyond simply attracting investment; its significance lies in our joint effort to establish a mass production system for actuators. This is because the humanoid robot market has now moved beyond the technology demonstration phase and entered an era where production capacity is the key competitive factor.”

Kim Byung-soo, CEO of ROBOTIS, explained the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with LGELECTRONICS in this way. He noted that LGELECTRONICS’ decision to consider investing in ROBOTIS’ actuator production plant in Uzbekistan is not merely a financial investment but a strategic partnership aimed at jointly building a supply chain for core robot components.

LGELECTRONICS(066570)On the 22nd, ROBOTIS(108490)and ROBOTIS signed an MOU regarding LGELECTRONICS’ equity investment in ROBOTIS’s Uzbekistan production plant. The agreement stipulates that LGELECTRONICS will review plans to invest in the robot actuator plant ROBOTIS is currently constructing in Uzbekistan, and that the two companies will also collaborate in the development and research of robotics technologies, including the humanoid platform “AI Sapiens.”

ROBOTIS is a robotics company in which LGELECTRONICS has been investing for some time. In December 2017, LGELECTRONICS participated in ROBOTIS’s capital increase, investing approximately 9 billion won. As of March of this year, CEO Kim Byung-soo is the largest shareholder with a 23.7% stake, while LGELECTRONICS holds a 6.56% stake.

“The Key Is the Actuator”… Collaboration with LG Corp. on Uzbekistan Plant

An actuator is a core component that functions as a robot’s joint. Combining motors, gearboxes, and controllers to enable the movement of a robot’s arms and legs, they are considered one of the most critical components in the commercialization of humanoid robots. Since a single humanoid robot contains dozens of actuators, performance, price, and production capacity are key factors determining a robot’s competitiveness.

CEO Kim stated, “LGELECTRONICS is a company that has accumulated over 60 years of motor technology, and ROBOTIS is a company with a long history in actuators,” adding, “Combining LGELECTRONICS’ motor technology with ROBOTIS’ capabilities in actuator design, control, and production will significantly accelerate our market entry.”

Under this partnership, LGELECTRONICS is expected to supply motors, while ROBOTIS will integrate gearboxes and control technology to produce actuators for humanoid robots. The production hub will be centered on the actuator factory that ROBOTIS is currently building in Uzbekistan. ROBOTIS plans to begin full-scale production of the “Dynamixel-Q” series of humanoid actuators at this facility starting next year.

CEO Kim explained, “As a home appliance company, LGELECTRONICS is targeting the home robot market, while ROBOTIS is focused on actuators and an open-source-based ecosystem,” adding, “Since the two companies are targeting different markets, there is significant room for collaboration.”

LGELECTRONICS demonstrated its commitment to expanding its robotics business earlier this year by unveiling “Cloid,” a home-use humanoid robot, at CES 2026, the world’s largest IT and home appliance exhibition. Securing a stable supply chain for actuators is essential for the commercialization of home robots, including Cloid. Through this MOU, LGELECTRONICS has laid the groundwork to pursue a strategy of in-house production of core robot components while leveraging ROBOTIS’ actuator technology and production infrastructure.

From ROBOTIS’ perspective, the collaboration with LGELECTRONICS could serve as a turning point for expanding its actuator business. ROBOTIS has established a strong foothold in the educational and research robot market based on its robot-specific drive module, “Dynamixel.” Recently, the company officially announced its entry into the humanoid component market by unveiling the Dynamixel-Q, an actuator for humanoids, and the AI Sapiens humanoid platform designed to validate it.

Regarding AI Sapiens, CEO Kim explained, “It is a platform designed to verify how well humanoid actuators can follow actual AI control methods,” adding, “If the actuators can effectively follow the AI control methods, the speed at which the next generation of robots is realized will be significantly faster.”

“The Era of Everyone Owning Their Own Robot Is Coming”… Responding to China with an Open-Source Strategy

CEO Kim observed that the competitive landscape of the humanoid market is changing rapidly. He noted that while there used to be significant skepticism about whether humanoids could grow into a viable industry, securing production capacity for core components has now emerged as a critical factor as global companies such as Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Unity are accelerating their competition in commercialization and mass production.

CEO Kim emphasized, “This is no longer just about development; we’re moving into a competition over production capacity,” adding, “Since it takes at least a year and a half just to set up a production line, now is the golden opportunity.”

ROBOTIS plans to develop its Uzbekistan plant into a production hub for humanoid actuators. While an annual production capacity of around 300,000 units was initially discussed, CEO Kim believes that, given the pace of growth in the humanoid market, even greater production capacity will be needed in the future.

ROBOTIS produced approximately 220,000 actuators last year, and shipments to China are growing rapidly. It is estimated that shipments of actuators to China exceeded 90,000 units through April of this year.

CEO Kim stated, “If we aren’t competitive in the Chinese market, it will be difficult to succeed in the global robotics market,” adding, “To compete with Chinese companies, we must be competitive not only in technology but also in price and production capacity.”

He explained that ROBOTIS’ humanoid strategy centers on actuators and the expansion of the development ecosystem. CEO Kim said, “In the future, companies will want to have their own robots to protect their data,” adding, “ROBOTIS will help many companies build their own robots through actuators and an open-source ecosystem.”

The two companies will also pursue joint research in the field of humanoids, including AI Sapiens. They explained that combining LGELECTRONICS’ artificial intelligence (AI) and control technologies with ROBOTIS’ humanoid platform could open up opportunities for collaboration not only in home robots but also in various humanoid applications.

CEO Kim stated, “Adding LGELECTRONICS’ AI and control capabilities to ‘AI Sapiens’ will enhance our competitiveness in the humanoid sector,” adding, “The partnership with LGELECTRONICS will serve as a key driving force for ROBOTIS to fully expand its humanoid actuator business.”

This MOU appears to be an example of LGELECTRONICS’ robotics components strategy taking a concrete step forward. LGELECTRONICS is expected to accelerate its entry into the actuator business by leveraging its motors and manufacturing expertise, while ROBOTIS is expected to improve production quality and its capacity to meet volume demands through its partnership with a major corporation.

CEO Kim said, “By partnering with LGELECTRONICS, ROBOTIS can significantly strengthen its production quality and mass-production capabilities,” adding, “Such cooperation will become even more important for Korean companies to compete with China in the humanoid robot market.”