Original Article

ROBOTIS Co. announced on Nov. 19 its collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop "Physical AI," a cutting-edge robot technology aimed at enhancing physical intelligence. This partnership is part of an international joint research and development (R&D) project organized by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, with government support and a total project cost of up to 10 billion won. In recent years, the robotics industry has seen a growing interest in Physical AI, which focuses on achieving precise physical forces akin to human capabilities. To bring this concept to fruition, ROBOTIS, known for its world-class precision robot technology, and MIT researchers, who possess extensive expertise in robot manufacturing and control, have joined forces. The goal of this collaboration is to develop technology that can achieve human-level manipulation capabilities.

For Physical AI to reach human-level manipulation, it must be able to reflexively respond using a high-level sensing system and the results of that sensing. This requires AI technology that can actively sense and respond to various real-world environmental changes, control reflex reactions, and learn from each situation. The Physical AI technology developed through this collaboration is expected to be applied to ROBOTIS' new collaborative robot, "OpenMANIPULATOR-Y (OM-Y)." Currently, OM-Y performs tasks with a gripper-type end-effector, but with human-level manipulation capabilities, it is expected to operate more efficiently in a wider variety of industrial environments. Kim Byung-soo, CEO of ROBOTIS, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "We have high expectations for the synergy that will be achieved when ROBOTIS' experience and technological prowess meet with the distinguished scholars of MIT." He added, "As 'Physical AI' is expected to become the biggest topic in the robotics industry, we will focus on producing results by seizing this great opportunity."