[Edaily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] “Next year, we plan to run wheeled or upper-body humanoids on actual mass production lines. They must be capable of replacing tasks previously performed by humans—not just picking up a single object.”

Lee Seong-ho, CEO of #CMES Robotics, revealed the company’s humanoid business plans for next year. This decision stems from the assessment that while there have been many technical demonstrations of robots walking and dancing, there are few fully developed examples capable of taking over human tasks in actual production settings. CMES Robotics plans to apply the artificial intelligence (AI) technology it has accumulated in logistics and manufacturing settings to humanoids to verify their commercial viability.

CMES Robotics received the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Daesang in the AI Application category at the “2026 E-Daily AI Korea Awards.” The company was recognized for its achievements in applying AI technology to real-world industrial settings. CEO Lee emphasized, “There aren’t many companies, even in the global market, that can raise on-site task success rates to 99.99% using AI,” adding, “For humanoids to enter mass production, they must achieve a success rate close to 100%.”

CMES Robotics is focusing on wheeled humanoids and two-armed robots resembling the human upper body. The company plans to have them perform tasks traditionally handled by humans, such as picking up, moving, and sorting objects.

CEO Lee said, “I don’t believe humanoids are the optimal solution for every process,” adding, “Bipedal robots still need more time. We will first apply wheeled or upper-body robots to actual mass production lines.”

The company is already reviewing specific application processes with its clients. In addition to its existing logistics and manufacturing clients, it is also discussing new contracts in the food sector. Although requests for proof of concept (PoC) are pouring in from domestic and international companies, the company’s policy is to carefully select processes where the technology can be reliably implemented first.

CEO Lee cited the limitations of existing automation methods as the reason behind the growing demand for humanoids. He explained that while introducing industrial robots requires reconfiguring production facilities and workspaces to accommodate them, humanoids can utilize the exact same spaces where people used to work.

“Traditional automation involved creating an environment specifically for robots to work in,” he said. “Now, companies want to simply place a robot in the exact one-pyeong space where a person used to stand. That’s why demand for humanoids is set to grow significantly.”

CMES Robotics’ key competitive advantage lies in the robot’s “brain.” Rather than manufacturing hardware directly, the company focuses on technology that uses AI to recognize objects and generate movements appropriate to the situation. The core strategy is to apply its AI to a variety of hardware platforms without being tied to a specific robot manufacturer.

CEO Lee stated, “We are not a company that makes robot hardware; we are a company that creates the intelligence for robots,” adding, “Our goal is to develop AI models for the specific tasks required in each production process and apply them to actual production sites.”

The company is also pursuing collaborations with overseas humanoid robot firms. Having received partnership proposals from global humanoid manufacturers, it plans to fully launch joint projects starting early next year. It is reported that discussions are underway regarding both the implementation of these solutions on global production lines and their introduction to the domestic market.

The company expects to begin full-scale platform commercialization of its humanoid solutions in 2028. The plan for next year is to secure initial use cases in actual production environments and use these to further refine the technology.

CEO Lee predicted, “Next year will be the time when humanoids actually begin operating in meaningful field settings,” adding, “Once we gain that experience, we will be able to supply the solution as a platform by 2028.”

The company is also accelerating its push into the North American market. At a U.S. trade show this year, CMES Robotics showcased its “random palletizing” solution, which recognizes boxes of various sizes and shapes and stacks them onto pallets. The company plans to begin local sales in the first quarter of next year.

The company has also devised a strategy to reduce the burden of technology adoption and maintenance issues for clients by adopting industrial robots from global manufacturers that are widely used in the U.S. market. It also plans to respond flexibly to U.S. robotics regulations by sourcing hardware locally and applying its proprietary AI technology.

CEO Lee stated, “Although the North American market is quite conservative when it comes to adopting new technologies, based on customer feedback at this year’s trade show, it seems we are heading in the right direction,” adding, “We plan to further expand our North American business next year.”

He expressed confidence that the company would achieve the aggressive business goals set for this year. The plan for next year is to accelerate growth by adding the on-site application of humanoids and expansion into overseas markets to its existing logistics and manufacturing automation business.

CEO Lee remarked, “We’ve moved beyond an era where humanoids were merely a vision for the future; it’s now time for them to enter actual workplaces.” He continued, “Next year, we’ll be able to demonstrate the mass production of humanoids equipped with our proprietary AI models.”