LG affiliates increase presence in physical AI globally

LG Electronics' home robot CLOiD is displayed at the company's booth for CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Jan. 6. Yonhap

LG Group affiliates are increasingly strengthening their presence in the global market for physical artificial intelligence (AI), as each company’s capabilities spanning robot components to intelligence are creating synergies that allow LG to offer integrated solutions.

To take the lead in the physical AI race, companies not only need advanced physical AI capabilities but also strong hardware technologies and high-quality industrial data. LG affiliates’ high-quality industrial data accumulated across manufacturing plants, along with their experience in training foundation models, are viewed as key strengths drawing market attention for their application in physical AI.

LG Electronics is drawing attention in the actuator business, a key component functioning as muscle for humanoid robots.

Robotic actuators require highly precise motion control, with their performance depending on the quality of motor. LG Electronics has demonstrated the stability and performance of its motor technologies for over 60 years through products such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners.

During CES 2026 in Las Vegas earlier this month, LG Electronics launched its robotic actuator brand AXIUM and outlined its goal of becoming a leader of the robotic actuator market. It also showcased its home robot CLOiD during the tech exhibition, which interacted with its surroundings by performing tasks such as folding towels and taking milk out of a refrigerator using its arms.

LG Electronics made an equity investment in robot developer Robotis and acquired the controlling stake of industrial robot manufacturer Robostar in 2018. Last year, it also acquired Bear Robotics and made a strategic investment in Chinese humanoid robot maker AgiBot.

LG Electronics' AXIUM robotic actuators / Courtesy of LG Electronics

LG AI Research, which has led Korea’s large language model development with its EXAONE series, is now working on building world models that understand how the real world operates, along with platform technologies to apply them in industrial settings.

Earlier this month, the institute launched Physical Intelligence Lab, which focuses on developing vision intelligence. Vision intelligence goes beyond simple recognition, enabling machines to understand their surroundings and anticipate what will happen next. To enable this, the lab is now working on vision language technologies to embed high-performance visual intelligence into robots, vehicles and home appliances.

IT service unit LG CNS is working as a tutor for robots, embedding industry-specific language, rules and operational expertise into their general intelligence systems.

The company set up an AI and robotics research and development center in Silicon Valley last August to support its business transition to robotics. It has also been conducting proof-of-concept projects involving multiple types of robots at factories and logistics centers of more than 10 clients.

LG Display is seeking an early lead in the robotic display market, leveraging its strengths in automotive displays and irregularly shaped panels.

Robot displays are often exposed to harsh environments such as high temperatures and require curved designs, similar to automotive applications, allowing LG Display to apply its technological expertise from the vehicle display sector.

During CES 2026, LG Display revealed its plastic OLED for humanoid robots, which excels in durability and flexibility for replicating the contours of human faces.

Show attendees flock to the LG Electronics booth as doors open on the first day of CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Jan. 6. AP-Yonhap

LG Energy Solution is already enjoying market attention with batteries for humanoid robots. The company is reportedly in discussions for battery supply and development with Tesla and a number of Chinese humanoid robot makers.

Humanoid robots require high-performance batteries that are compact and lightweight due to space limitations, delivering high output when required while maintaining stability. LG Energy Solution is drawing market interest for its strong technological capabilities in high-energy-density ternary batteries.

In 2025, Naver Labs unveiled its autonomous robot Rookie powered by LG Energy Solution’s cylindrical batteries, while in 2024 the battery maker signed an exclusive supply deal to provide 2,170 cylindrical batteries to Bear Robotics.

LG Innotek has been working with Boston Dynamics since last year to develop vision sensing systems for robots. The system integrates various sensing components, including red, green and blue (RGB) cameras and 3D sensing modules, into a single unit, enabling robots to accurately perceive their surroundings even at night or in adverse weather conditions.

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, left, looks at a humanoid robot during his visit to U.S. startup Figure AI at its headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., during his four-day U.S. trip in June 2024. Courtesy of LG Group

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo stressed that AI and AI-related technologies are the group’s next growth driver. In 2024, he visited U.S. robot startup Figure AI to explore business opportunities in the robot value chain, which resulted in the group’s investment in Figure AI and other U.S. physical AI startups such as DYNA Robotics and Skilled AI.

In his New Year message for 2026, Koo said technological paradigms and the rules of competition are changing faster than LG Group’s pace of progress, adding that “the group must move beyond past successes and leap forward through new innovation.”