Latest news with #exoskeletons
Forbes
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
How South Korea's Chaebols Are Pushing The Robotics Revolution
In 2021 Hyundai Motor Company paid $1.1 billion to acquire 80% of robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics, famous for videos of its dog-shaped bot named Spot and its running and jumping humanoid Atlas. The deal initially seemed more of a headline grab for Hyundai rather than part of a fully baked strategy. That's no longer the case. Four years later, Hyundai ($130 billion 2024 sales, no. 142 on the Forbes Global 2000) now represents the tip of the spear in Korea Inc.'s thrust into robotics. Hyundai — the world's third-largest automaker when including its 35% ownership of KIA Corp (no. 278) — has kept developing Spot especially for use as a roving site inspector, and continues to iterate Atlas, with the intention of selling mass-produced humanoids controlled by AI as soon as 2028. Hyundai's robotics lab has already deployed its X-ble platform of wearable robotic exoskeletons for use in factories. X-ble Shoulder, launched late last year after trials with 300 workers, is said to reduce shoulder and deltoid muscle exertions by more than 30% when lifting heavy objects like car parts. Its X-ble MEX is a more complicated rehabilitation suit that can help people walk again. Incredibly, these X-ble exoskeletons don't require an outside power source, instead using passive spring-torque mechanics. Industrial robots are nothing new to Korea, which already leads the world in density of robot deployment, with 1,000 bots per 10,000 factory workers, compared to about 300 in the U.S. and 470 in China. The robotics division of Doosan (no. 1713 with $13 billion in sales, controlled by billionaire Park Jeong-won) has already commercialized the Cobot, an industrial robot adept at welding, sanding, palletising, food frying and luggage handling. Korea's powerful chaebols and the Korean government see massive opportunity for robots outside the factory. The government's new public-private partnership, the K-Humanoid Alliance, aims to offer a commercially viable bipedal bot by 2028 that weighs less than 130 pounds, can lift 40 pounds, walk about 3 yards per second and can move with the flexibility enabled by more than 50 joints. The K-Humanoid Alliance seeks to develop a common AI 'brain' that all Korean robots can use. LG Electronics ($70 billion revenues, no. 910) already offers a rolling bot called CLOi, deployed for serving and carrying. LG last year introduced the small Q9 household bot, which can see, hear, talk and make up stories to entertain kids. Samsung Electronics, the semiconductor and appliance giant ($220 billion revenues, no. 21 on the Forbes Global 2000) owns 35% of Rainbow Robotics, founded in 2011 by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology. They have shown off the Hubo bipedal robot and the RB-Y1 wheeled humanoid. Robot prowess could soon become a matter of existential urgency for Korea, which suffers the world's lowest fertility rate at less than 1% and expects to need a lot more bots to care for its rapidly aging population. Robotics could also help spur the sagging state of Korea's $1.7 trillion economy, forecast by the Bank of Korea to see anemic 0.8% GDP growth this year, following a 0.2% contraction in the first quarter. The KOSPI stock index is up 6% in the past year and merely 34% in 5 years. Korea's new president, the progressive Lee Jae-Myung has pledged a $30 billion tech stimulus package. Hyundai's purchase of 80% of Boston Dynamics (Softbank owns the other 20%) may have seemed like its ante into the field of robotics, but now it has become the basis for game-changing productivity and products. Korean companies have been doing this for decades with semiconductors, smartphones, TVs and refrigerators. Already, Spot bots outfitted with sensors continuously patrol complex and dangerous industrial sites, saving customers from having to install hundreds or thousands of static sensors (the U.S. Secret Service even has a Spot prowling the grounds of Mar-a-Lago). Recent videos from Boston Dynamics shows the humanoid Atlas bot crawling, tumbling and even break dancing. The U.S. Secret Service has deployed Spot to prowl the grounds of Mar-A-Lago. Getty Images Global shipping company DHL agreed in May to buy a thousand of Boston Dynamics' Stretch robots for package handling, while Hyundai says it will deploy thousands more into the United States through a $21 billion investment strategy. Soon robots will be everywhere. More than 60 South Korean companies made their way onto Forbes Global 2000, including Korea Electric Power, POSCO steel, and $515 billion (assets) financial services giant KB Financial. With the prospect of 25% tariffs looming POSCO, the world's sixth largest steel maker, has already announced a partnership with fellow Global 2000 member Hyundai Motors to invest in a $5.8 billion steel plant in Louisiana. Newcomers to the Forbes Global 2000 include investment holding company SK Square as well as videogame maker Krafton, best known for PUBG Battlegrounds. Also new is Hanwha Aerospace, a defense contractor specializing in power turbines and self-propelled howitzers. Earlier this year Hanwha Aero announced its own robo-ambition to develop autonomous weapons systems.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Renault Group finalises a strategic partnership with Wandercraft, a leader in next generation robotics
PRESS RELEASEJune 6, 2025 Renault Group finalises a strategic partnership with Wandercraft, a leader innext generation robotics Renault Group announces the closing of the acquisition of a minority investment in Wandercraft, a French company with an undisputed leadership in AI-enabled robotic exoskeletons for people with reduced mobility, currently deploying its technology towards mobile robots for industrial uses. This investment comes together with a partnership agreement to develop a family of next generation robots, based on Wandercraft's technology, firstly for Renault Group's own manufacturing operations. The partnership brings Renault Group's industrial expertise to scale up production of Wandercraft's exoskeletons and robots. It will also help Wandercraft open new business opportunities in robotics. Boulogne-Billancourt, June 6, 2025 – Renault Group and Wandercraft announce the closing of a minority investment by Renault Group in Wandercraft, the first company to develop, manufacture and market medical self-balancing exoskeletons. Building on its strong expertise in powerful and reliable exoskeletons, Wandercraft has developed an advanced platform for uses such as manufacturing. Renault Group invests together with Wandercraft's existing shareholders and new investors. Through a commercial partnership agreement, Renault Group and Wandercraft aim to ensure the development of Calvin, a family of next generation robots, firstly for industrial uses. Calvin will allow Renault Group to relieve its workers from painful and non-ergonomics tasks, while reducing production time and thus gaining on productivity. At a later stage, this partnership will also include the industrialization of robots and exoskeletons by Renault Group in order to reduce costs through design-to-cost and scaling — two disciplines in which the automotive industry is well recognized. This will help Wandercraft to bring its new exoskeleton Eve on the market and open new business opportunities in robotics. "This partnership with Wandercraft is a forward-looking move. It will allow us to accelerate on automation and to develop robots for our specific auto industrial use, giving us the opportunity to concentrate our people on more value-adding tasks and alleviate operators from painful and non-ergonomics duties. It will drive productivity through the acceleration of production time and costs' reduction. In the end, it makes a lot of sense to combine Wandercraft's unique expertise and technology in exoskeletons and robots, with Renault Group's strong industrial capacity and design-to-cost know-how to bring the production of robots at scale" said Thierry Charvet, Chief Industry and Quality Officer of Renault Group. 'Renault Group's investment marks a defining moment for Wandercraft. This partnership will boost our ability to build and scale high-impact, low-cost robotics that improve the everyday lives of real people—whether it's helping individuals with disabilities walk or supporting industrial workers through automation — on the factory floor, in clinics and at home. We're proud to combine our technology with Renault Group's industrial excellence to deliver the next generation of mobile robotics' said Matthieu Masselin, CEO and co-founder of Wandercraft. RENAULT GROUPINVESTOR RELATIONS Philippine de 6 13 45 68 39 RENAULT GROUP PRESS CONTACT Rie Yamane +33 6 03 16 35 François Rouget+33 6 23 68 07 WANDERCRAFT PRESS CONTACT Lilly Kofler +1 Jean-Louis Constanza+33 607 529 About Renault Group Renault Group is at the forefront of a mobility that is reinventing itself. The Group relies on the complementarity of its 4 brands - Renault - Dacia - Alpine and Mobilize - and offers sustainable and innovative mobility solutions to its customers. Established in 114 countries, Renault Group sold 2.265 million vehicles in 2024. It employs more than 98,000 people who embody its Purpose every day, so that mobility brings people closer. Ready to pursue challenges both on the road and in competition, the Group is committed to an ambitious and value generating transformation focused on the development of new technologies and services, and a new range of even more competitive, balanced, and electrified vehicles. In line with environmental challenges, the Group's ambition is to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040. More information: About WandercraftWandercraft deploys the most advanced robotics to help humans. Founded in 2012, Wandercraft is globally recognized for its next-generation exoskeleton technology that safely and reliably helps walking-impaired persons to walk again. Wandercraft has more than 30 patents and 100 Atalante exoskeletons operating in hospitals across four continents. The new personal exoskeleton, Eve, will be marketed in a few months to assist quadriparetic persons in their daily lives. Wandercraft's humanoid exoskeletons collectively take over a million steps each month, fueling a proprietary neural network trained on real-world movement data. This dataset, one of the most advanced in human motion, powers Wandercraft's next generation of exoskeletons and robots, starting with Calvin 40, developed in 40 days as the first of the Calvin family of humanoid robots. Wandercraft believes that robotics should serve the people who need it most. More information: Attachment 20250606_ EN_Renault Group_Press Release Closing WandercraftSign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Renault Group finalises a strategic partnership with Wandercraft, a leader in next generation robotics
PRESS RELEASEJune 6, 2025 Renault Group finalises a strategic partnership with Wandercraft, a leader innext generation robotics Renault Group announces the closing of the acquisition of a minority investment in Wandercraft, a French company with an undisputed leadership in AI-enabled robotic exoskeletons for people with reduced mobility, currently deploying its technology towards mobile robots for industrial uses. This investment comes together with a partnership agreement to develop a family of next generation robots, based on Wandercraft's technology, firstly for Renault Group's own manufacturing operations. The partnership brings Renault Group's industrial expertise to scale up production of Wandercraft's exoskeletons and robots. It will also help Wandercraft open new business opportunities in robotics. Boulogne-Billancourt, June 6, 2025 – Renault Group and Wandercraft announce the closing of a minority investment by Renault Group in Wandercraft, the first company to develop, manufacture and market medical self-balancing exoskeletons. Building on its strong expertise in powerful and reliable exoskeletons, Wandercraft has developed an advanced platform for uses such as manufacturing. Renault Group invests together with Wandercraft's existing shareholders and new investors. Through a commercial partnership agreement, Renault Group and Wandercraft aim to ensure the development of Calvin, a family of next generation robots, firstly for industrial uses. Calvin will allow Renault Group to relieve its workers from painful and non-ergonomics tasks, while reducing production time and thus gaining on productivity. At a later stage, this partnership will also include the industrialization of robots and exoskeletons by Renault Group in order to reduce costs through design-to-cost and scaling — two disciplines in which the automotive industry is well recognized. This will help Wandercraft to bring its new exoskeleton Eve on the market and open new business opportunities in robotics. "This partnership with Wandercraft is a forward-looking move. It will allow us to accelerate on automation and to develop robots for our specific auto industrial use, giving us the opportunity to concentrate our people on more value-adding tasks and alleviate operators from painful and non-ergonomics duties. It will drive productivity through the acceleration of production time and costs' reduction. In the end, it makes a lot of sense to combine Wandercraft's unique expertise and technology in exoskeletons and robots, with Renault Group's strong industrial capacity and design-to-cost know-how to bring the production of robots at scale" said Thierry Charvet, Chief Industry and Quality Officer of Renault Group. 'Renault Group's investment marks a defining moment for Wandercraft. This partnership will boost our ability to build and scale high-impact, low-cost robotics that improve the everyday lives of real people—whether it's helping individuals with disabilities walk or supporting industrial workers through automation — on the factory floor, in clinics and at home. We're proud to combine our technology with Renault Group's industrial excellence to deliver the next generation of mobile robotics' said Matthieu Masselin, CEO and co-founder of Wandercraft. RENAULT GROUPINVESTOR RELATIONS Philippine de 6 13 45 68 39 RENAULT GROUP PRESS CONTACT Rie Yamane +33 6 03 16 35 François Rouget+33 6 23 68 07 WANDERCRAFT PRESS CONTACT Lilly Kofler +1 Jean-Louis Constanza+33 607 529 About Renault Group Renault Group is at the forefront of a mobility that is reinventing itself. The Group relies on the complementarity of its 4 brands - Renault - Dacia - Alpine and Mobilize - and offers sustainable and innovative mobility solutions to its customers. Established in 114 countries, Renault Group sold 2.265 million vehicles in 2024. It employs more than 98,000 people who embody its Purpose every day, so that mobility brings people closer. Ready to pursue challenges both on the road and in competition, the Group is committed to an ambitious and value generating transformation focused on the development of new technologies and services, and a new range of even more competitive, balanced, and electrified vehicles. In line with environmental challenges, the Group's ambition is to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040. More information: About WandercraftWandercraft deploys the most advanced robotics to help humans. Founded in 2012, Wandercraft is globally recognized for its next-generation exoskeleton technology that safely and reliably helps walking-impaired persons to walk again. Wandercraft has more than 30 patents and 100 Atalante exoskeletons operating in hospitals across four continents. The new personal exoskeleton, Eve, will be marketed in a few months to assist quadriparetic persons in their daily lives. Wandercraft's humanoid exoskeletons collectively take over a million steps each month, fueling a proprietary neural network trained on real-world movement data. This dataset, one of the most advanced in human motion, powers Wandercraft's next generation of exoskeletons and robots, starting with Calvin 40, developed in 40 days as the first of the Calvin family of humanoid robots. Wandercraft believes that robotics should serve the people who need it most. More information: Attachment 20250606_ EN_Renault Group_Press Release Closing WandercraftError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
