Agibot X2, Unitree G1, and Leju Kuavo 4th Technology Professional humanoid robots make their debuts in South Korea. Credit score: AW 2026
SEOUL — Sensible Manufacturing facility & Automation World, or AW 2026, opened yesterday. The occasion, which occupies your entire Coex venue and options 2,300 cubicles, is the biggest one in AW’s 36-year historical past, in keeping with the organizers. It was based because the Manufacturing Innovation Expo.
This 12 months’s theme of “Autonomy: the driving force of sustainability” displays the worldwide shift from manufacturing unit automation and digitalization to AI and robotics in a number of industries, they mentioned. They added that the aim is manufacturing “with better intelligence, adaptability, and minimal human intervention.”
In his opening keynote, Jo Sang Hyeon, president of Coex, defined how AW‘s expo halls and session tracks have been organized round 5 themes or developments: sensible factories, industrial and collaborative robotics, machine imaginative and prescient and sensors, digital twins, and bodily AI together with humanoid robots.
“AW has grown considerably in each scale and high quality, evolving past Korea to grow to be certainly one of Asia’s main exhibitions for manufacturing innovation,” he mentioned. “Particularly, this 12 months marks a serious shift towards AI and humanoid robots, positioning AW because the Korean model of CES, with representatives from throughout the business and greater than 100 media retailers visiting the exhibition.”
Bodily AI brings self-learning programs to autonomous manufacturing
Many corporations and panelists mentioned how synthetic intelligence is shifting from software program solely to enabling robots to function with better flexibility within the bodily world.
“Transferring past software-centric functions, generative and industrial AI are actually being embedded instantly into robots, manufacturing amenities, and meeting strains – bringing intelligence instantly into the bodily layer of producing,” famous the AW organizers.
“AW 2026 will function a platform presenting the route of the ‘Bodily AI period,’ the place AI strikes past software program and integrates instantly with industrial environments.” acknowledged Sang Hyeon. “Coex will proceed strengthening its function as a world industrial platform driving AI-powered manufacturing transformation and the growth of autonomous manufacturing programs.”
Within the new AI Manufacturing facility Pavilion in The Platz at Coex, exhibitors equivalent to POSCO DX, CJ Olivenetworks, and Doosan‘s Digital Innovation enterprise unit demonstrated the combination of imaginative and prescient AI, digital twins, and data-driven course of controls.
A separate corridor was devoted to machine imaginative and prescient programs for functions starting from high quality inspection and robotic steerage to amassing knowledge for simulation and AI-aided resolution making.
About 30,000 attendees got here to Coex in Seoul yesterday, Supply: AW 2026
Hyundai demonstrates ‘end-to-end’ logistics
Hyundai Motor Group, which each makes use of automation as a serious automaker and is a provider of automation, occupied a number of massive cubicles at AW 2026. In the course of the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the occasion, its MobED platform introduced gloves to the business and authorities dignitaries.
Hyundai Robotics Lab‘s MobED had received the Better of Innovation award at CES 2026, and this was its first public look in Korea. The robotic has a few of the maneuverability of a quadruped and may carry a variety of payloads.
Hyundai additionally introduced the MobED Alliance, which together with main Korean corporations, to assist develop functions for it. As well as, the corporate reportedly plans to take a position $6 billion in a robotics, knowledge, and vitality hub close to Seoul.
Additionally debuting at AW was the humanoid robotic Atlas from Boston Dynamics, though it was not operational. Hyundai mentioned final 12 months that it plans to purchase “tens of hundreds” of robots from its Boston Dynamics unit.
As well as, Hyundai Glovis demonstrated its built-in AI-based automation and built-in gear controls with cell robots from a number of distributors and an automatic storage and retrieval system (ASRS) from AutoStore. Hyundai Mobis offered autonomous cell robots (AMRs).
Different world corporations displaying logistics and manufacturing prowess included industrial automation chief FANUC, force- and power-limited cobot maker Common Robots, and autonomous cell robotic (AMR) supplier Geekplus Applied sciences.
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas made its Korean debut this week. Credit score: Eugene Demaitre
Humanoids make their Korean debuts
Along with Boston Dynamics and Atlas, T-Robotics publicly confirmed its humanoid robotic for the primary time in South Korea.
The China Humanoid Robotic Convention at AW 2026 addressed commercialization methods and world business developments. Daniel He, senior AI architect at Huawei, delivered a keynote addressing the evolution of embodied intelligence and potential functions. Hyung-kwan Shin, CEO of the China Capital Markets Lab, moderated a panel to debate commercialization methods, worldwide cooperation, and the way forward for the humanoid sector.
Chinese language humanoid robots on show included the X2 and G2 fashions from Agibot, which claimed to be the world’s main humanoid robotics firm by way of world shipments and market share. They’re already in business use in China, an organization consultant advised The Robotic Report.
Unitree‘s G1 carried out pre-programmed martial arts strikes, whereas Leju‘s Kuavo 4th Technology Professional walked round. G1 is meant as a analysis and growth platform, and Kuavo, which makes use of NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Jetson, is in business proofs of idea.
Semi-humanoid robots, with a human-like torso and a wheeled base, have been extra frequent sights than legged humanoids at AW 2026. DARWIN from Normal Robots was one instance.
A number of corporations equivalent to Gosung Engineering and Mech-Thoughts confirmed cell manipulators for duties equivalent to palletizing, machine tending, and conveyance of electronics and machine elements.
Korea affords business management, funding alternatives
Whereas 500 corporations from 24 international locations sprawled throughout 5 halls at AW 2026, many have been primarily based in South Korea or have been from China, Japan, and the West with native divisions. Additionally they mirrored evolving service and industrial robotics.
Authorities representatives mentioned authorized and monetary assist to encourage small and midsize producers to accumulate robots to be globally aggressive. By 2030, the Korean authorities desires to extend automation within the nation‘s factories by 10%. The audio system additionally cited public-private analysis and the chance for buyers.
The Korea Worldwide Commerce Affiliation hosted a 1:1 enterprise assembly, and a complete of 24 consumers from eight corporations deliberate to facilitate conferences with taking part Korean corporations. AW 2026 additionally included greater than 200 specialised convention periods round subjects equivalent to AI in manufacturing.
AW’s organizers included Coex, the Korea Trade Intelligentization Affiliation, the Korea Sensible Manufacturing Workplace, the Korea Machine Imaginative and prescient Industrial Affiliation, Chomdan Inc., and the Korea Worldwide Commerce Affiliation.
