DAEGU — The Future Innovation Technology Expo, or FIX, opened at EXCO in Daegu on the 21st, and attention is turning to the Daegu International Robot Industry Show, or ROBEX, a sub-event where visitors can see advanced robot technology and industry trends in one place.
Humanoid robots that move and work like people, collaborative robots that recognize their surroundings and carry out processes on their own, and a range of robot technologies expanding into manufacturing, logistics and service settings are drawing visitors' eyes.
A total of 65 companies from South Korea and abroad are taking part in this year's ROBEX across 220 booths, laying out a new direction for the robot industry centered on physical artificial intelligence and industrial humanoids, the Daegu city government said on the 22nd.
The technology is evolving toward robots that combine with AI to recognize their environment, make judgments and perform complex tasks.
HD Hyundai Robotics, which is headquartered in Daegu, unveiled an intelligent dual-arm robot built on physical AI that can be expanded into an industrial humanoid.
Each of the robot's arms can lift up to 7 kilograms and has a working radius of 630 millimeters.
It applies a structure similar to a human upper body, with five fingers, designed to handle precision work such as picking up and moving objects or assembling parts.
HD Hyundai Robotics is also displaying its HDC series of collaborative robots, welding automation solutions, hand-guided collaborative robots and force control solutions, introducing a range of automation technologies that can be applied on industrial sites.
Doosan Robotics presented Scan and Go, which combines physical AI and three-dimensional vision technology with an autonomous mobile robot.
The technology is an intelligent automation solution designed to let a robot recognize nearby objects and carry out tasks while moving. It points to the direction of next-generation manufacturing automation equipped with mobility, recognition and judgment functions, going beyond earlier robots that performed repetitive tasks from fixed positions.
Another focus of this year's event is industrial humanoids.
Humanoids that replicate human form and movement are drawing attention as a next-generation platform that could assist or replace human work on industrial sites, rather than serving merely as demonstration robots.
They hold considerable industrial promise because they can respond flexibly to environments people have handled, including stairs, cramped spaces, varying work heights and the use of tools.
A-Robot is attracting the most attention in this field.
The company brought its bipedal walking humanoid Alice 5 and its wheeled humanoid Alice M2.
Alice 5 is a model designed with a structure that can replicate human movement and applies whole-body balance control technology, while Alice M2 was developed to move efficiently even in narrow indoor spaces.
Various tools and grippers can be mounted depending on the task, raising expectations for expansion into manufacturing, logistics and service settings.
The company Forklift is showing the potential of logistics automation through its self-driving unmanned forklifts, the M-200 F4 and the M-3500 F4.
Other exhibits include Dogu Robotics' iroiH series of humanoids and its four-legged patrol robot Patrover PA-Q.
Service robots and robots for everyday life are on display as well.
Younghyun Robotics and ISP presented ice cream-making robots, while Creambot showed serving, delivery and cleaning robots.
Jimbo Robotics brought an assistive robot that follows people and a logistics transport robot, while Isol and AITron are introducing AI-based robots and platforms for care and safety management.
These robots show that robot technology is expanding rapidly beyond manufacturing sites into logistics, care, safety and everyday services.
ROBEX runs through Oct. 24.
"ROBEX is an exhibition that shows the present and future of the robot industry in one place, from advanced automation technology combined with AI to industrial humanoids, service robots and core components," said Lee Yoon-jung, head of the machinery and robotics division at the Daegu city government. "We will concentrate our capabilities so that Daegu can emerge as South Korea's capital of advanced AI robotics."