[Edaily SOYEON KIM Reporter] What impact would Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot have if deployed at an LG Energy Solution battery manufacturing site?

LG Energy Solution is not only equipping Boston Dynamics’ Spot with batteries but is also expanding the application of physical artificial intelligence (AI) on the manufacturing floor. Assuming actual operation, the company has entered a testing and verification phase to determine what effects would result if the four-legged walking robot “Spot” were deployed on the production floor.

According to industry sources on the 18th, LG Energy Solution is aggressively pursuing Manufacturing AX (AI Transformation) with the goal of achieving a 50% increase in productivity by 2028. The company is evolving into a “Physical AI” factory where AI goes beyond data analysis to directly observe, move around, and make autonomous decisions on the manufacturing floor.

For example, the visual inspection of 24 items in the energy storage system (ESS) direct current (DC) grid connection process takes more than 70 minutes. The Spot robot moves autonomously along a predefined path to perform key tasks and can adjust its posture and camera angle independently at every inspection point, enabling real-time detection. It conducts a precise analysis of everything from bolt fastening to installation status, and its ultrasonic sensors can detect even minute leaks in real time.

In high-altitude areas that Spot cannot reach, a 3-meter-tall camera tower is deployed. The camera tower takes over the role previously performed by workers who had to climb ladders to conduct inspections. All inspections are digitized, and the collected data serves as the foundation for identifying root causes when problems arise. LG Energy Solution plans to expand the application of such Physical AI technologies.

At the Ochang Energy Plant (PLT) pack pilot line, a mobile manipulator—combining an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) with a collaborative robot arm—has been deployed and optimized for line operations. It autonomously detects and ejects defective cells. The company plans to increase the application of robotics that maximizes Physical AI, such as operating equipment doors to supply essential parts. The outlook is that the workplace will evolve toward a system where robots replace Saramins in dangerous or repetitive tasks, while Saramins focus primarily on decision-making and implementing improvements when problems arise.

Furthermore, it is known that LG Energy Solution batteries are installed in Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robots and the four-legged walking robot Spot. With reports that LG Energy Solution batteries are also being used in Figure AI and Tesla’s Optimus—in addition to Boston Dynamics—the scope of battery applications appears to be expanding across the entire physical AI infrastructure.

This creates a virtuous cycle in which robots are deployed in factories to manufacture batteries, while the batteries produced by LG Energy Solution power those very robots. An industry official explained, “Battery companies are evolving beyond simply supplying power to become partners in Physical AI infrastructure,” adding, “The increased adoption of batteries driven by the expansion of Physical AI is positive for battery companies.”