LG Electronics (robotics)
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Last reviewed
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| LG Electronics | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Company | LG Electronics Inc. |
| Parent | LG Corporation |
| Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea |
| Founded | 1958 (as GoldStar Co., Ltd.) |
| Chairman | Koo Kwang-mo |
| CEO | Lyu Jae-cheol |
| Robotics division | HS Robotics Lab (Home Appliance Solution Company) |
| Robotics brand | CLOi (service robots); CLOiD (home humanoid); AXIUM (actuators) |
| Key partnerships | KIST, Bear Robotics, Robostar, ROBOTIS, Skild AI |
| Notable robots | CLOi GuideBot, CLOi ServeBot, CLOi ChefBot, CLOi BaristaBot, CLOi UV-C Bot, CLOiD, KAPEX |
| Website | lg.com/global/business/robot |
LG Electronics is a South Korean multinational electronics company and a subsidiary of LG Corporation. Founded in 1958 as GoldStar Co., Ltd., the company is one of the largest electronics manufacturers globally, with operations in over 100 countries and annual revenue exceeding 80 trillion Korean won (approximately $56 billion). While best known for televisions, home appliances, and mobile devices, LG has steadily expanded into robotics since 2017, developing a broad portfolio of commercial service robots, a home assistant humanoid robot, proprietary actuators for the humanoid robotics industry, and a suite of AI models designed for physical AI applications.
LG's robotics strategy is distinctive among major electronics companies in that it spans the entire value chain: from designing and manufacturing its own robots (the CLOi family and CLOiD) to developing core components for other robotics companies (AXIUM actuators, sensing modules, batteries), and building the AI software layer (EXAONE vision-language models) that powers autonomous decision-making. This approach is coordinated through the "One LG" strategy, which unites at least five LG Group affiliates to deliver integrated robotics subsystems.
As of early 2026, LG Electronics CEO Lyu Jae-cheol has declared the year the "inaugural year" of the company's humanoid robotics business, with plans to invest over 4 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in AI, robotics, and automotive parts.[1][2]
LG Electronics traces its origins to GoldStar Co., Ltd., established on October 1, 1958, by entrepreneur Koo In-hwoi. Koo had previously founded Lak-Hui Chemical Industrial Corp. (now LG Chem) in 1947, making it one of South Korea's earliest industrial enterprises. GoldStar's first product was the A-501, South Korea's first vacuum tube radio, which sold over 20,000 units and captured the domestic market. The company went on to produce South Korea's first refrigerator in 1965, first color television in 1977, and became one of the nation's leading electronics manufacturers. GoldStar went public in 1970, and by 1976 it was producing one million televisions annually. In 1994, GoldStar officially adopted the LG Electronics brand following a merger with Lucky Chemical, reflecting the company's global ambitions. By 2024, LG Electronics reported consolidated revenue of 89.2 trillion Korean won, with the Home Appliances and Air Solutions segment contributing approximately 23 trillion won as the company's largest revenue source.[3][4]
LG Electronics entered the robotics market at CES 2017, showcasing four concept robots: an Airport Guide Robot, an Airport Cleaning Robot, a Lawn Mowing Robot, and a Hub Robot for the home. The Hub Robot was a desk-sized unit with expressive eyes inspired by the animated character WALL-E, using Amazon Alexa voice recognition technology to control smart home devices. The Airport Guide Robot and Airport Cleaning Robot were subsequently deployed in a trial at South Korea's Incheon International Airport, where the Guide Robot could scan boarding passes, answer questions in four languages (English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean), and escort travelers to their gates.[5][6]
At CES 2018, LG formally introduced the CLOi brand (pronounced "KLOH-ee") as its unified robotics product line. The initial CLOi lineup comprised three commercial robots targeting airports, hotels, and supermarkets: the CLOi PorterBot for luggage transport, the CLOi ServeBot for food and drink delivery, and the CLOi CartBot for grocery assistance. All shared a common design language and were built for operation in open, dynamic commercial environments.[7]
At CES 2019, LG debuted an updated version of the CLOi SuitBot, a lower-body exoskeleton developed in collaboration with SG Robotics. The wearable device was designed to reduce strain on warehouse workers by providing powered assistance for bending and lifting movements, operating for up to four hours on a single charge. LG also showed improved versions of the PorterBot, ServeBot, and CartBot at the same event, describing them as "nearing commercialization."[8]
In 2020 and 2021, LG pivoted to address pandemic-era demand by introducing the CLOi UV-C Bot, an autonomous disinfection robot that uses ultraviolet-C ionizing radiation to sanitize high-touch surfaces in hotels, schools, and offices. Announced at Digital CES 2021, the UV-C Bot was LG's first CLOi robot to launch commercially in the United States. The 1.6-meter-tall robot was proven to reduce microorganisms on surfaces by 99.9% within a distance of 50 centimeters and could be operated via a mobile app to minimize human operators' exposure to ultraviolet light.[9]
LG also deployed the CLOi ChefBot, a six-axis multi-joint cooking robot, at a VIPS restaurant in Seoul in partnership with CJ Foodville. The CLOi BaristaBot was similarly deployed at select cafes in Seoul, using a database of bean types, water temperatures, and brewing times to prepare coffee consistently.[10]
A major commercial milestone came in January 2022, when LG launched the CLOi ServeBot in the U.S. market. The ServeBot became the world's first commercial service robot to achieve UL 3300 certification, a safety standard for service, communication, information, education, and entertainment (SCIEE) robots operating in dynamic environments. The ServeBot stood 52.7 inches tall, featured three shelves capable of carrying up to 22 pounds each (66 pounds total), and could operate for up to 11 hours on a single charge. Its navigation system combined LiDAR, a 3D camera, a time-of-flight sensor, and a bumper sensor for real-time obstacle avoidance.[11]
Also in 2022, LG introduced the CLOi GuideBot at InfoComm 2022. The GuideBot was subsequently deployed as a curator at the Gongju National Museum and National Assembly Museum in South Korea, providing cultural commentary and directions, with sign language commentary and subtitles for visitors with hearing difficulties, dedicated routes for wheelchair users, and interactive games for children. LG also sold GuideBot units to Aeon Mall at Narita International Airport in Japan.[12][13]
LG's robotics ambitions escalated significantly in 2025. In January 2025, LG secured a majority (51%) stake in Bear Robotics, a Silicon Valley startup specializing in AI-driven autonomous delivery robots. In October 2025, LG Electronics, LG AI Research, and KIST announced the co-development of KAPEX, a full-size bipedal humanoid robot and South Korea's flagship entry in the global humanoid robotics race. In November 2025, LG restructured its organization to create the HS Robotics Lab under the Home Appliance Solution Company, consolidating previously scattered robotics capabilities. In December 2025, LG pre-announced CLOiD, a wheeled home assistant humanoid robot, ahead of its CES 2026 debut.[14][15][16]
At CES 2026 in January, LG unveiled CLOiD and the AXIUM actuator brand simultaneously, declaring 2026 the inaugural year of the company's humanoid robotics business.[1]
In early 2026, the broader LG Group intensified its robotics push. In March, LG CNS made a strategic investment in Dexmate, a Silicon Valley humanoid robot startup whose wheeled humanoid robots feature two precision robotic arms with more than 36 degrees of freedom and can operate continuously for up to 20 hours, becoming the first Korean company to invest in the firm.[17] In April 2026, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo visited Silicon Valley, meeting with Alex Karp (CEO of Palantir Technologies) and the co-founders of Skild AI, Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta. Koo attended a demonstration of a humanoid robot equipped with Skild AI's robotic foundation model, signaling LG's intent to deepen partnerships in AI-driven enterprise transformation and physical AI.[18]
LG's robotics efforts are organized across several units within the LG Group. In November 2025, the company announced a significant organizational restructuring effective December 1, 2025, creating the HS Robotics Lab within the Home Appliance Solution (HS) Company. The lab integrates select functions from the Chief Technology Office's Advanced Robotics Lab. Research Fellow Lee Jae-wook, who previously led the Humanoid Robot Task, was named head of the new lab.[16]
This restructuring consolidated home-robot-related capabilities that had been scattered across multiple divisions, sharpening execution around LG's "Zero Labor Home" vision and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation humanoid robotics. The HS Robotics Lab reports to the president of the Home Appliance Solution Company, Steve Baek, who also introduced CLOiD on stage at CES 2026.[19]
Beyond the HS Robotics Lab, LG's robotics ecosystem includes:
| Unit | Focus area |
|---|---|
| HS Robotics Lab (HS Company) | Home humanoid robotics (CLOiD); core robotic technologies |
| LG Business Solutions | Commercial CLOi robots (ServeBot, GuideBot, UV-C Bot) |
| LG AI Research | EXAONE vision-language models; Physical AI research |
| LG CNS | Robot Transformation (RX) business; industrial AI humanoid solutions; investment in Dexmate |
| Smart Factory Solutions | Industrial automation using Robostar robots |
| Bear Robotics (subsidiary) | AI-driven autonomous delivery robots |
| LG Technology Ventures | Corporate venture capital arm; investments in robotics startups |
The CLOi brand encompasses LG's full portfolio of commercial and service robots. Since its introduction in 2018, the CLOi family has grown to include robots for hospitality, food service, disinfection, wayfinding, and home assistance.
| Robot | Year introduced | Application | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLOi Airport Guide Robot | 2017 | Airports | Boarding pass scanning; gate escort; wayfinding in four languages; deployed at Incheon International Airport |
| CLOi Airport Cleaning Robot | 2017 | Airports | Autonomous floor cleaning; LiDAR and SLAM navigation; deployed at Incheon International Airport |
| CLOi PorterBot | 2018 | Hotels, airports | Luggage delivery; express check-in/check-out |
| CLOi ServeBot | 2018 (US launch 2022) | Restaurants, hotels | Food/drink delivery; first robot with UL 3300 certification; 11-hour battery; 66 lb capacity |
| CLOi CartBot | 2018 | Supermarkets | Grocery assistance; autonomous navigation |
| CLOi SuitBot | 2018 (updated 2019) | Warehouses, industrial | Lower-body exoskeleton; 4-hour battery; developed with SG Robotics |
| CLOi ChefBot | 2020 | Restaurants | Six-axis multi-joint cooking robot; deployed at VIPS Seoul with CJ Foodville |
| CLOi BaristaBot | 2020 | Cafes | Automated coffee preparation; uses bean/temperature/timing database; deployed in Seoul |
| CLOi UV-C Bot | 2021 | Hotels, schools, offices | UV-C disinfection; 99.9% bacterial reduction at 50 cm; mobile app control |
| CLOi GuideBot | 2022 | Airports, museums, malls | Interactive information kiosk; touchscreen; sign language support; autonomous wayfinding |
| CLOiD | 2026 | Residential homes | Dual-arm wheeled humanoid; household chore automation; AI-powered; ThinQ integration |
Unveiled at CES 2026, CLOiD is a semi-humanoid home assistant robot with a head, torso, and two articulated arms mounted on a wheeled mobile base. It represents a fundamental shift in LG's robotics strategy: while prior CLOi robots targeted business-to-business applications, CLOiD is designed specifically for private residences. The name extends the established CLOi brand with the suffix "D," reportedly standing for "domestic" or "daily."
CLOiD features seven degrees of freedom per arm and five-fingered dexterous hands developed in collaboration with KIST. Its height is adjustable between 105 cm and 143 cm through a tilting torso mechanism, allowing it to reach objects at knee level (for picking items off the floor or loading a washing machine) and above (for accessing kitchen counters and shelves). The robot weighs approximately 60 kg and runs on a 25,000 mAh lithium-ion battery providing 6 to 8 hours of operation per charge. Its wheeled base provides autonomous navigation using a combination of RGB cameras, stereo cameras, ultrasonic sensors, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and LiDAR, allowing movement speeds of up to 1.0 m/s.[19][20]
CLOiD is powered by LG's "Affectionate Intelligence" technology, combining a Vision Language Model (VLM) and a Vision Language Action (VLA) model trained on tens of thousands of hours of household task data. The VLM converts images and video into structured, language-based understanding of the environment, while the VLA model translates visual and verbal inputs into executable physical actions such as folding laundry, loading dishwashers, or organizing refrigerators. Through situational awareness and continuous learning of user daily patterns, CLOiD can proactively perform household tasks without explicit instructions.[19]
A defining feature of CLOiD is its deep integration with the LG ThinQ smart home platform. Rather than operating as a standalone device, CLOiD functions as a mobile agent within the ThinQ ecosystem, orchestrating tasks across connected LG appliances. During CES demonstrations, LG showed the refrigerator door automatically opening as CLOiD approached, the oven opening on command, and the robot vacuum moving aside when CLOiD needed to navigate near a hamper.[21] By early 2026, LG's AI Home solution (built on the ThinQ ON platform) had surpassed 300,000 households, providing a growing installed base for potential CLOiD integration.[22]
CLOiD received the CES 2026 Innovation Award as an Honoree in the Smart Home category, and Gizmodo awarded it "Best of CES 2026: Best Robot."[23] However, reviewers also noted limitations. Engadget observed that "the robot also moved very slowly" throughout its demonstrations, and expressed skepticism that "the concept is unlikely to amount to much anytime soon."[21]
As of April 2026, LG has not announced a price or commercial release date for CLOiD. Third-party estimates place the potential price range at $20,000 to $40,000. LG CEO Lyu Jae-cheol indicated that CLOiD would move from the lab into proof-of-concept deployment by 2027.[24][2]
In parallel with CLOiD's consumer-facing development, LG Electronics and LG AI Research are jointly developing KAPEX with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). KAPEX is a full-size bipedal humanoid robot designed for autonomous walking and navigation in complex environments. The name combines "K" (for Korea) with "APEX," symbolizing the pinnacle of robotics evolution.[25]
KIST brings two decades of humanoid research to the partnership, including the Mahru series of domestic service humanoids first developed in 2005. KIST's Mahru-Z, unveiled in 2010, could autonomously recognize people, operate home appliances such as microwave ovens and washing machines, and navigate rooms using visual sensors. Although the Mahru series was never commercialized, it established KIST's foundational expertise in humanoid locomotion, manipulation, and domestic service robotics.[26]
While CLOiD uses a wheeled base optimized for flat home surfaces, KAPEX features full bipedal locomotion powered by reinforcement learning combined with VLM-based augmented AI. The robot can walk autonomously, navigate uneven terrain, climb stairs, avoid obstacles, and recover from falls. KAPEX's multi-finger hands feature tactile sensing described as comparable in delicacy to human hands. KIST Director General Lee Jong-won has stated that "KAPEX will serve as a practical alternative and a new global standard as a Korean AI robot that challenges the US-China-centered market order."[25][27]
KAPEX is a cornerstone of South Korea's K-Humanoid Alliance, a government-backed initiative with approximately $150 million allocated in 2025 for humanoid R&D, with total government investment projected to reach $770 million by 2030. The Alliance set ambitious technical targets: by 2028, member organizations aim to develop humanoid robots weighing under 60 kg, featuring 50 or more joints, capable of lifting 20 kg payloads, and moving at speeds exceeding 2.5 m/s. The partners unveiled initial KAPEX results in November 2025, with field demonstrations targeting factories, logistics centers, and public environments planned for 2026. Full commercialization is anticipated within four years of the announcement (approximately 2029).[25][28][29]
At CES 2026, LG unveiled LG Actuator AXIUM, a new brand of robotic actuators designed for service robots and humanoids. Actuators are the motorized modules that power a robot's joints, and they represent an estimated 40 to 60 percent of a humanoid robot's total production cost, making them the single largest component expense.[30]
Key features of the AXIUM actuator include:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Motor design | Distributed core motor delivering higher torque density in a smaller footprint |
| Energy efficiency | Energy-harvesting system that recovers energy generated during deceleration to extend operating time |
| Integration | Motor, drive control, and speed/torque reducer combined in a single compact module |
| Manufacturing base | Leverages LG's existing infrastructure that produces approximately 45 million appliance motors annually |
| Target market | Service robots, humanoid robots, industrial robots, collaborative robots, logistics robots |
| Mass production timeline | By end of 2026 |
LG has positioned AXIUM not only for its own robots but as a business-to-business product for external robotics companies. CEO Lyu Jae-cheol confirmed at a March 2026 shareholder meeting: "We will establish a mass-production system within this year," framing the actuator line as LG's entry ticket into a broader robotics supply chain role. The actuators use in-house motor technology adapted from LG's home appliance motor production, giving the company a manufacturing cost advantage over smaller robotics startups that must source actuators from third parties.[1][30]
LG AI Research, the company's dedicated AI research division, develops the EXAONE family of large-scale AI models that serve as the cognitive foundation for LG's robotics products. The most relevant models for robotics include:
| Model | Release | Parameters | Key features | Relevance to robotics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXAONE 4.0 | July 2025 | 32B and 1.2B variants | 128K token context; hybrid attention (global + sliding window); trained on 14 trillion tokens | Foundation model for LG AI products |
| K-EXAONE | December 2025 | 236B total (23B active) | Mixture-of-Experts; 70% memory reduction; 150K-word tokenizer; ranked 7th worldwide among open-weight models | Korean-language specialized; manufacturing and robotics domain training |
| EXAONE 4.5 | April 2026 | 33B | Vision-language model; processes text and images simultaneously; multi-token prediction; scored 77.3 average across five STEM benchmarks | Serves as "robot brain" for KAPEX; enables vision-language-action reasoning |
EXAONE 4.5, announced at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, is particularly significant for LG's robotics ambitions. For KAPEX, EXAONE 4.5 functions as the cognitive engine that perceives the environment through cameras and sensors, understands natural language commands, and translates this understanding into physical actions. LG AI Research plans an open-weight release of EXAONE 4.5 in the first half of 2026.[31][32]
LG frames its robotics work under the umbrella of "Physical AI," a term describing AI systems that interact with, learn from, and act upon the physical world. Rather than pre-programming robots with fixed routines, LG's approach trains AI models on real-world data so robots can learn, adapt, and make autonomous decisions in dynamic environments.
LG AI Research Co-President Lim Woo-hyung has articulated the company's philosophy: "The AI that LG pursues is not about competing over how intelligent it is, but about creating a partner that helps people and solves problems in the real world."[31]
LG is also constructing the Paju AI Data Center in Gyeonggi Province through LG Uplus, with 200-megawatt capacity accommodating up to 120,000 GPUs and a completion target of 2027. LG Uplus is investing 615.6 billion won ($441.7 million) in the facility, which will serve as the hub for the One LG strategy and support the training and development of EXAONE models for KAPEX and other AI applications across the LG Group.[31][33]
LG's robotics efforts are positioned within the broader "Affectionate Intelligence" AI strategy, first introduced in 2024 and expanded at CES 2025 under the theme "Life's Good 24/7 with Affectionate Intelligence." This framework applies AI in ways intended to reduce friction in daily life rather than add complexity. It is built on three strategic pillars: device excellence, an orchestrated ecosystem, and expansion of AI-driven solutions beyond the home to vehicles, workplaces, and commercial spaces. CLOiD is described as the physical embodiment of Affectionate Intelligence, a robot that senses its surroundings, interacts naturally with users, and adapts its behavior based on learned preferences and routines.[34][35]
LG has pursued an aggressive investment strategy to build expertise across the robotics value chain. Since 2018, the company has committed billions of won to acquiring stakes in robotics companies, both domestically and internationally.
In 2018, LG Electronics acquired a 30% controlling stake in Robostar, a South Korean industrial robot manufacturer specializing in vertical articulated robots and SCARA robots used in display, semiconductor, and secondary battery manufacturing. LG subsequently acquired an additional 3.4% stake from Robostar's management by the end of 2019, bringing its total ownership to 33.4%. Robostar provides core infrastructure for the LG Group's smart factory initiatives.[36]
LG holds a 7.36% equity stake in ROBOTIS, a Korean company that specializes in robot actuators and components, including the Dynamixel servo line widely used in research and education robotics. ROBOTIS excels in actuators, which are key components for robot joints. LG collaborates with ROBOTIS on actuator technology and smart factory development.[37]
In March 2024, LG invested $60 million to acquire a 21% stake in Bear Robotics, a Silicon Valley startup founded in 2017 by former Google engineer John Ha that specializes in AI-powered indoor delivery robots for the hospitality industry. Bear Robotics produces the Servi serving robot for restaurants and the Carti robot for warehouses. The investment included a call option agreement allowing LG to acquire up to an additional 30% stake. In January 2025, LG's board of directors exercised that call option, bringing its total ownership to 51% and effectively making Bear Robotics an LG subsidiary. The acquisition reportedly valued Bear Robotics at approximately $600 million.[38][39]
As part of the acquisition, LG's commercial robot business, primarily centered around CLOi Robots, was transferred to Bear Robotics. The key management team, including CEO John Ha, remains in place. LG intends to leverage Bear Robotics' expertise in robot fleet management technology and cloud-based control solutions to create an integrated software platform for commercial, industrial, and home robots.[14]
LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo has directed investments into several global robotics and AI startups through LG Technology Ventures, the conglomerate's corporate venture capital arm:
| Company | Country | Focus | LG's role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Figure AI | United States | Humanoid robots for industrial applications | Strategic investment; LG Innotek also participated in Figure AI's $675 million funding round |
| AgiBot | China | Humanoid robots; volume manufacturing | Strategic investment (August 2025); CEO Lyu visited AgiBot's Shanghai facilities |
| Dyna Robotics | United States | Physical AI and robotics | Strategic investment (in $120 million round alongside Nvidia NVentures, Salesforce Ventures, Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, Samsung Next) |
| Skild AI | United States | Robotic foundation models | Strategic cooperation agreement; equity investment; LG CNS developing industrial AI humanoid solution based on Skild AI's foundation model |
| Skilled AI | United States | Foundational AI modeling for robotics | Strategic investment |
| Dexmate | United States | Humanoid robot hardware platform | Strategic investment by LG CNS (March 2026); first Korean investor |
These investments reflect a strategy where LG positions itself as both a robot manufacturer and a key supplier of components to the broader humanoid robotics industry. Chairman Koo's April 2026 visit to Silicon Valley, where he met with Palantir CEO Alex Karp and Skild AI co-founders Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, underscored the group's intent to accelerate AI commercialization and robotics partnerships.[37][40][18]
LG Group's "One LG" strategy coordinates multiple major affiliates to provide integrated robotics subsystem packages for the broader industry, mirroring approaches LG has successfully used in the automotive and data center sectors. Rather than operating as isolated units, the affiliates offer bundled components that address the most expensive and complex parts of humanoid robot manufacturing. By combining these technologies, LG aims to function as a "one-stop-shop" for humanoid manufacturers, targeting a market projected to reach $29.5 billion by 2036.[30][41]
| LG affiliate | Robotics contribution | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| LG Electronics | AXIUM actuators; CLOiD and CLOi robots; integration platform | Actuator mass production by end of 2026 |
| LG Energy Solution | Sulfide-based all-solid-state battery cells; NCMA cylindrical cells (46-series) for sustained and burst output (used in Boston Dynamics Atlas and Tesla Optimus); exclusive 2170 battery supply deal with Bear Robotics | Graphite-anode EV cells by 2029; anode-free robot cells by 2030 |
| LG Innotek | Composite sensing modules integrating cameras, LiDAR, and radar; supplying Boston Dynamics (Atlas vision system) and Figure AI (camera modules) | Early-stage production underway; large-scale production 2027-2028 |
| LG AI Research | EXAONE vision-language models as cognitive layer for KAPEX and other robots | EXAONE 4.5 open-weight release planned H1 2026 |
| LG Display | 7-inch flexible OLED panels for humanoid interfaces, repurposed from automotive dashboard technology (used in Mercedes-Benz) | First showcased at CES 2026 |
| LG CNS | Robot Transformation (RX) business; industrial AI humanoid solutions using Skild AI foundation model; investment in Dexmate | RX Innovation Lab established 2026 |
LG Innotek has already established a foothold in the high-end humanoid market. The affiliate signed a collaboration agreement with Boston Dynamics to develop a next-generation vision sensing system for the Atlas humanoid robot, integrating RGB cameras and 3D sensing modules into a single unit that enables robots to detect their surroundings even in dark environments or poor weather. LG Innotek also agreed in June 2025 to supply camera modules to Figure AI. Despite these early wins, LG Innotek CEO Moon Hyuk-soo has acknowledged that "meaningful robotics revenue is still three to four years away."[42][43][30]
LG Energy Solution is developing two tracks of battery technology for humanoid applications. The first uses graphite-anode solid-state cells adapted from electric vehicle technology (targeting 2029). The second, more advanced track pursues anode-free solid-state cells optimized specifically for robots by 2030. The anode-free design maximizes energy density per unit volume, which is critical for fitting power systems inside a human-shaped torso alongside dozens of motors and circuit boards. At the InterBattery 2026 exhibition in Seoul in March, LG Energy Solution showcased these sulfide-based all-solid-state battery cells. The company is reportedly in discussions with at least six global robotics firms as potential battery customers.[30][44]
LG Electronics has used the Consumer Electronics Show as its primary stage for robotics announcements every year since 2017.
| Year | Robots and announcements |
|---|---|
| CES 2017 | Airport Guide Robot, Airport Cleaning Robot, Lawn Mowing Robot, Hub Robot (all concept prototypes) |
| CES 2018 | CLOi brand launch; CLOi PorterBot, ServeBot, CartBot introduced |
| CES 2019 | Updated CLOi SuitBot exoskeleton; improved PorterBot, ServeBot, CartBot described as "nearing commercialization" |
| CES 2020 | Expanded CLOi demonstrations |
| Digital CES 2021 | CLOi UV-C Bot announced; ChefBot and BaristaBot demonstrations |
| CES 2022 | CLOi ServeBot U.S. launch with UL 3300 certification; CLOi GuideBot debut |
| CES 2025 | "Affectionate Intelligence" AI strategy expanded; "Life's Good 24/7" theme |
| CES 2026 | CLOiD home humanoid robot debut; AXIUM actuator brand unveiled; CES Innovation Award (Smart Home); Gizmodo Best of CES: Best Robot |
Beyond service and humanoid robots, LG has a growing smart factory solutions business that leverages its Robostar subsidiary's industrial robots along with LG's AI and automation expertise. The business generated approximately 500 billion Korean won in orders in its first two years of operation. LG aims to grow the smart factory solutions business into a trillion-won business by 2030, providing automated manufacturing systems to external companies using a combination of industrial robots, AI-powered quality inspection, and integrated factory management software.[45]
LG CNS is expanding this industrial robotics effort through its Robot Transformation (RX) business, which plans to develop industrial AI humanoid robot solutions based on Skild AI's robotic foundation model, optimized with industrial data from manufacturing environments. The company's strategic investment in Dexmate provides a high-performance humanoid hardware platform that can be deployed in industrial settings. LG CNS established an RX Innovation Lab in 2026 to drive this robotics consulting and integration business.[17][46]
In March 2026, LG Electronics announced plans to invest over 4 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in facility investments during 2026, with AI, robotics, and automotive parts as priority areas. The company plans to increase future-growth investment by more than 40 percent compared to the previous year, with specific focus on AI Home, smart factories, AI data center cooling, and robotics. LG identified robotics, cooling solutions for AI data centers, smart factories, and AI-powered homes as four future growth engines.[2]
Despite these investments, LG acknowledges that robotics revenue generation remains years away. The company's current robotics products (CLOi commercial robots) generate modest revenue compared to LG's core home appliance and television businesses. LG Electronics posted record first-quarter 2026 revenue of 23 trillion won, driven primarily by home appliances and vehicle components rather than robotics.[47]
LG's robotics strategy places it in competition with several major South Korean conglomerates and international companies across different segments of the robotics market.
| Company | Robotics approach | Key robots/investments |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Invested in Rainbow Robotics (35% stake, largest shareholder); Samsung Electro-Mechanics evaluating actuator market entry; Samsung SDI supplies batteries to K-Humanoid Alliance | Rainbow Robotics RB-Y1; Ballie companion robot (not yet commercially available) |
| Hyundai Motor Group | Acquired Boston Dynamics in 2021; Hyundai Mobis supplies actuators for Atlas | Boston Dynamics Atlas (Electric); Hyundai Mobis actuators |
| Doosan Robotics | Collaborative robot (cobot) manufacturer; member of K-Humanoid Alliance | Doosan collaborative robot arms |
| Company | Country | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | United States | Optimus humanoid; vertical integration; massive manufacturing scale |
| Figure AI | United States | Figure 02; deployed at BMW factory; OpenAI partnership |
| Boston Dynamics | United States (Hyundai-owned) | 30+ years of locomotion R&D; Atlas production version at CES 2026 |
| Unitree Robotics | China | G1/H1; low price point; high production volume |
| AgiBot | China | A2; largest production volume globally (5,168 units in 2025) |
LG's competitive positioning is distinctive in several ways. First, its "One LG" strategy provides an integrated supply chain spanning actuators, batteries, sensors, AI, and displays from affiliated companies. Second, LG's deep integration with its smart home appliance ecosystem (ThinQ) gives CLOiD a potential advantage in coordinating with household devices. Third, LG is pursuing a dual-role strategy as both a robot manufacturer and a component supplier. This supplier role, through AXIUM actuators and LG Innotek's sensing modules, means LG can generate revenue from the robotics industry even if its own robot products take time to reach commercial viability.[30]
However, LG faces challenges. Chinese manufacturers have already achieved mass production at price points far below LG's anticipated costs; Chinese firms shipped over 13,000 humanoid units in 2025, claiming approximately 87% of global volume. Tesla and Figure AI benefit from established factory deployment experience. And within South Korea, Hyundai's ownership of Boston Dynamics gives it access to over three decades of locomotion research.[48]
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| October 1958 | GoldStar Co., Ltd. founded by Koo In-hwoi |
| 1994 | GoldStar rebrands as LG Electronics |
| January 2017 | Four concept robots (Airport Guide, Airport Cleaning, Lawn Mowing, Hub Robot) unveiled at CES 2017 |
| January 2018 | CLOi brand launched at CES 2018 with PorterBot, ServeBot, CartBot |
| 2018 | 30% controlling stake acquired in Robostar |
| January 2019 | Updated CLOi SuitBot and improved service robots shown at CES 2019 |
| January 2021 | CLOi UV-C Bot announced at Digital CES 2021 |
| January 2022 | CLOi ServeBot launches in U.S.; achieves UL 3300 certification |
| June 2022 | CLOi GuideBot debuts at InfoComm 2022 |
| March 2024 | $60 million investment in Bear Robotics (21% stake) |
| January 2025 | Majority (51%) stake in Bear Robotics secured |
| April 2025 | K-Humanoid Alliance launched; LG is a core member |
| May 2025 | LG Innotek signs collaboration with Boston Dynamics for Atlas vision system |
| June 2025 | LG Innotek agrees to supply camera modules to Figure AI |
| August 2025 | Strategic investment in AgiBot |
| October 2025 | KAPEX co-development announced with KIST and LG AI Research |
| November 2025 | KAPEX unveiled; initial demonstrations of mobility and hand manipulation |
| November 2025 | HS Robotics Lab established under Home Appliance Solution Company |
| December 2025 | CLOiD pre-announced ahead of CES 2026 |
| December 2025 | K-EXAONE 236B-parameter model released |
| January 2026 | CLOiD and AXIUM actuator brand unveiled at CES 2026; CLOiD wins CES Innovation Award |
| March 2026 | LG CNS invests in Dexmate |
| March 2026 | EXAONE 4.5 vision-language model announced at MWC 2026 |
| March 2026 | LG Energy Solution showcases solid-state battery cells for humanoids at InterBattery 2026 |
| April 2026 | Chairman Koo visits Silicon Valley; meets Palantir and Skild AI leadership |
| End of 2026 (planned) | AXIUM actuator mass production begins |
| 2027 (planned) | Paju AI Data Center completion (200 MW, 120,000 GPUs); CLOiD proof-of-concept deployment |
| 2027-2028 (planned) | LG Innotek large-scale sensor module production |
| 2029 (planned) | KAPEX full commercialization; K-Humanoid Alliance targets 1,000+ robots annually; LG Energy Solution graphite-anode solid-state cells |
| 2030 (planned) | LG Energy Solution anode-free solid-state battery cells for robots; smart factory business reaches 1 trillion won |