[Edaily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] “Excavators were invented to make digging easier. A single machine can do the work of dozens of people, right? I believe robots should be the same.”

Kim Myeong-han, CEO of KNR SYSTEMS Inc.(199430), explained this while pointing to the large hydraulic “Super Humanoid” currently under development at the company’s headquarters in Dongtan, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

KNR SYSTEMS Inc. plans to unveil a “Super Humanoid” capable of actual walking by the end of this year. The company has largely completed the development of key modules—including the hydraulic actuators, arms, hands, and legs—that make up the robot and is currently working on integrating them into a single, complete unit.

“A robot that works well, rather than one that just looks good”

The Super Humanoid’s most notable feature is its strength. It aims to handle objects weighing up to 300 kg with a single hand. By utilizing both arms, it targets tasks involving loads of up to 600 kg.

To achieve this, hydraulic actuators were used in the hand instead of electric motors. The team did not focus on replicating five fingers or high degrees of freedom, as seen in Saramins. The currently developed hand consists of four fingers and two hydraulic actuators.

CEO Kim explained, “The most important factor we considered when designing the hand was gripping strength,” adding, “After all, to lift an object, you must be able to grasp it.” He continued, “It can pick up an egg, but it can also grasp and lift a 200 kg dumbbell, a pipe, or an H-beam.”

The team also does not obsess over making the robot’s appearance exactly like a human’s. The arms were designed to be longer than those of an average person so that the robot can brace itself against the ground when falling or use its arms to climb slopes.

CEO Kim emphasized, “We’re building robots that are easy to use, not just robots that look good,” adding, “If a robot has to enter a fire pit or underwater and navigate rough terrain, it doesn’t need to be beautiful.”

Ultimately, the Super Humanoid envisioned by KNR SYSTEMS Inc. is closer to next-generation heavy machinery with a higher degree of freedom than human-shaped service robots. CEO Kim stated his goal of eventually lowering the price of the Super Humanoid to a level competitive with excavators.

CEO Kim also stated that as production volume increases, he aims to lower the price of the Super Humanoid to a level competitive with existing heavy machinery, such as excavators. He explained that while production will be made-to-order initially, component and manufacturing costs can be reduced as mass production scales up.

CEO Kim said, “If you asked for just one excavator to be made, it would be extremely expensive, but prices have come down because they are now mass-produced,” adding, “Our goal is for the Super Humanoid to eventually reach a price point where people can buy it as an alternative to a front-end loader.”

Walking by Year-End, Sales Starting Next Year… “Even Selling Just Five Units Would Be Meaningful”

Commercialization will begin in earnest

next year

. CEO Kim set a preliminary sales target of 5 to 10 units for next year. The company believes that, given the nature of high-end industrial equipment, it can secure business viability with even small volumes in the early market, without needing to sell thousands of units annually.

While the initial product will feature a design that allows a Saramin to ride inside and operate it directly, the company’s ultimate vision is remote control and autonomous operation. The plan is for operators at disaster sites to remotely control the robot from a safe location while monitoring it, and then use the accumulated on-site operational data to enhance the level of AI-based autonomous control.

CEO Kim stated, “Making it capable of carrying a person broadens its range of applications,” adding, “At disaster sites, it will mostly be operated remotely without a person on board.” He explained, “Even if an accident occurs, as long as only the robot is damaged and the person remains safe, we have achieved our goal.”

A 1-metric-ton quadruped robot utilizing the same technology is also under development. It is designed to carry a maximum load of 1 metric ton on its back, with the goal of unveiling it in the first half of next year. The approach involves sharing actuator and control technologies with the Super Humanoid while adapting the structure to suit specific forms and applications.

CEO Kim believes the biggest challenge facing the robotics industry is creating the first real-world use cases, rather than the technology itself. While the number of companies building robots has increased, there is a lack of cases where companies have actually purchased and used them in the field to prove their utility; as a result, companies are simply waiting to see the results of other companies’ implementations.

Once the Super Humanoid is completed, KNR SYSTEMS Inc. plans to demonstrate its capabilities—such as digging the ground, transporting materials, and working in hazardous areas—to showcase its practical applications. The company has also proposed to the government that, in addition to research and development (R&D) support, procurement and demonstration policies are needed to promote the early adoption of domestically produced robots.

CEO Kim stated, “Once products reach a certain level of quality, it is also necessary for the government to purchase an initial batch and test them in real-world settings,” adding, “If the government plays this catalytic role, it will greatly contribute to the growth of the domestic robotics industry.”