Models & LabsUnited States
Doosan Robotics to Develop Physical AI Collaborative Robots
Doosan Robotics has secured two government-funded projects centered on physical artificial intelligence (AI). The company will spearhead the development of collaborative robots equipped with on-device AI and intelligent welding solutions for nuclear power equipment, marking a major step toward establishing an integrated platform for Korean physical AI collaborative robots.
Doosan Robotics said Oct. 6 that projects it proposed under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) were selected for the K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development Project and the Robot Industry Technology Development Project, respectively. KEIT officially uses the English name Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology.
The combined research and development budget for these two initiatives reaches approximately 98.9 billion won, which includes roughly 68.1 billion won in government funding.
The first project focuses on creating next-generation collaborative robots capable of independent perception, decision-making, and real-time control without relying on an external personal computer or cloud infrastructure. By integrating a neural processing unit (NPU) and real-time control capabilities into domestically developed AI system semiconductors, Doosan Robotics will build three collaborative robot models—with payloads of 5kg, 10kg, and 20kg—alongside an industrial humanoid capable of dual-arm operations, targeting commercialization starting in 2031.
The second project involves automating high-difficulty welding operations through the integration of AI, digital twins, and collaborative robots. Doosan Robotics will demonstrate tack welding, preheating, and advanced welding processes at Doosan Enerbility's Nuclear Power Plant Center, with subsequent plans to expand these industrial applications into shipbuilding, general plants, and defense sectors.
Inwon Park, president and head of Doosan Robotics, stated, "By combining on-device AI semiconductors with our proprietary collaborative robot platform, we will develop physical AI collaborative robots that can learn and accurately reproduce even the intricate skills of experienced human workers".