Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- The Korea Economic Daily reported on Jan. 9 (local time) thatLG Electronics by launching its own in-house developedHumanoid RobotThe company has officially challenged its rivals, who are leading the AI robotics competition.
"Robots are undoubtedly the key to the future of humanity, and [LG Electronics] is at the forefront of robotics research and development by developing humanoid robots for the home," LG Electronics Chief Executive Officer Cho Cho Cho Wan said at a press conference on the sidelines of CES 2025.
LG reportedly previously launched service robots including the LG CLOi ServeBot and GuideBot, but these robotsRelies heavily on wheeled design, with some mobility and more limited flexibility.
LG Electronics is poised to compete with local rivals such as Hyundai Motor Group and Samsung Electronics, which have already invested heavily in humanoid robot development. These bipedal AI robots are designed to mimic the human form and work in tandem with humans to boost productivity.
LG Electronics plans to unveil the Smartbody Q9, a base model of the humanoid robot, later this year, with testing expected in February and March.
Kim Byung-hoon, the company's vice president and chief technology officer, said, "LG Electronics is working on a number of key technologies that are critical to the development of humanoid robots, such asGesture control and gait recognition. These technologies will be based on the cognitive and joint movement technologies used in the Q9."
Additionally, LG Electronics announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft, in which the two companies will work together to drive AI technology innovation and develop smart bodies, including the Q9, for theHomes, vehicles, hotels and officesand many other environments.
LG Electronics is considering offering the Q9 as a subscription service or combining it with its own AI smart home platform, LG ThinQ, so that more users can experience the product, which is expected to be released in September in South Korea, 1AI understands.