LG Innotek, Boston Dynamics team up to sharpen Atlas robot's vision
Under the partnership, LG Innotek will design and supply hardware modules for the robot's vision sensing system, drawing on its expertise in advanced sensors for smartphones, home appliances and mobility devices. Boston Dynamics will be responsible for developing the software to process visual data captured by the module.
The vision module will integrate various components, including RGB cameras and 3D sensing units that enable the robot to perceive its surroundings in three dimensions, along with optical technologies originally developed for autonomous driving solutions, LG Innotek said.
The company expects that the system will deliver reliable performance even in challenging conditions such as darkness or adverse weather.
'Through this collaboration with Boston Dynamics, a global leader in robotics, LG Innotek has secured a competitive edge in the robot components market,' said LG Innotek CEO Moon Hyuk-soo. 'We will continue to develop core components that shape the future of robotics and deliver differentiated value to our customers.'
According to Hyundai Motor Group, the company plans to deploy the current edition of the humanoid in the production facilities of Hyundai Motor and Kia as early as the end of 2025, where it is expected to carry out simple and repetitive tasks on behalf of human workers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul should set new bottom line for USFK: expert
Seoul needs to be proactive in setting the new 'baseline' with Washington over the talks involving a possible change in the role of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea stationed here, a Seoul-based military and foreign relations expert said Wednesday. 'South Korean officials and experts' current discussions, in dealing with Washington's talks of strategic flexibility of the USFK, are focused on maintaining the current situation or reacting to the US' moves,' Jo Bee-yun, a research fellow at Sejong Institute said in a report. 'However, Seoul must take a proactive approach (toward the issue) and prevent any radical adjustments to the USFK,' she added. The report comes amid growing speculation that Washington may reduce and reconfigure the USFK to prioritize deterrence of Chinese threats. A May report by the Wall Street Journal indicated that Washington was reviewing wheter to relocate 4,500 troops from South Korea to other areas in the Indo-Pacific region. US President Donald Trump has been also putting pressure on Seoul to sharply increase its spending on national defense or pay more fo the cost of stationing the USFK on the peninsula. He recently took a jab at the latest South Korea-US defense cost-sharing deal, dubbed, the Special Measures Agreement, signed under the previous Joe Biden administration last year, saying falsely that the cost was reduced 'to nothing.' The latest SMA for the 2026-2030 period states that Korea is to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.11 billion) next year, up from 1.4 trillion won this year. In this regard, Jo pointed out that the gap between the stance on security priorities between Seoul and Washington are growing wider. 'South Korea prioritizes responding to threats from North Korea due to its geopolitical conditions, but the US is attempting to expand the strategic flexibility of the USFK with the focus on deterring threats from China — this has led to a widened gap between stances on security,' she explained. To prevent further security risks, Jo claimed Seoul must first admit the possibility of a USFK troop reduction and set a new baseline that could help maintain the strength of the South Korea-US alliance and Washington's commitment to extended deterrence. Specifically, Seoul would need to propose to Washington about maintaining at least 15,000 troops on the peninsula, as well as the current level of the 'Super Squadron' formation test, an initiative by the US Air Force, to consolidate a larger number of F-16 fighter jets into a single squadron at Osan Air Base. The test is aimed enhancing combat effectiveness. Seoul should also pursue permanent deployment of an F-35A wing, a radar-evading aircraft, to Kunsan Air Base and request Washington to continue to send four-star generals to lead the USFK, she added. Advancing and developing conventional-nuclear integration options, under which South Korea mobilizes its conventional military assets to back America's nuclear operations in a crisis scenario, would be another key step, Jo noted.
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai starts joint shipbuilding venture in US
Edison Chouest Offshore CEO visits Korean shipbuilder's R&D site, shipyards HD Hyundai has begun taking steps to build ships in the United States in partnership with Edison Chouest Offshore, the Korean shipbuilding conglomerate said Wednesday. According to the company, a delegation of more than ten key executives and engineers from ECO, including its CEO Dino Chouest, visited Korea on Tuesday to discuss detailed plans for the joint shipbuilding project with HD Hyundai. The ECO delegation visited HD Hyundai's Global R&D Center in Gyeonggi Province and the dockyards of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan during their two-day visit. HD Hyundai said the US partners were briefed on the Korean shipbuilder's latest technologies and shipbuilding capabilities and had a chance to review the operational status of HD Hyundai-built vessels currently deployed around the world at the Digital Insight Center at the Global R&D Center. The ECO officials also took a look at how HD Hyundai developed its automated solutions and applied them in practical shipyard operations, as well as how it implemented robotic welding technologies. According to HD Hyundai, top leadership from both companies agreed to expand their partnership beyond the joint construction of ships to explore future business opportunities together. 'HD Hyundai fully supports efforts to revitalize the US shipbuilding industry,' said HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun. 'The joint shipbuilding project between the two companies in the US will serve as an excellent example of Korea-US cooperation in the shipbuilding sector.' The ECO delegation visited HD Hyundai's shipyards in Ulsan on Wednesday to closely examine their design and production processes, along with their dock operation and management systems. HD Hyundai said engineers from ECO will remain in Korea for another week to learn about the Korean shipbuilder's techniques and discuss project specifics. The two companies previously signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic and comprehensive partnership in June this year, agreeing to start jointly building medium-sized container vessels at ECO's shipyard in the US by 2028. The partners also pledged to expand the scope of their cooperation beyond ships to include port cranes, which have been central to US national security concerns as it seeks to curb China's influence. HD Hyundai dispatched a team of more than ten experts to ECO's shipyard in the US last month to inspect the partner's production facilities and systems and provide consultations on enhancing productivity. ECO, which operates 18 commercial shipyards across the US, maintains a fleet of 300 offshore support vessels around the world.
Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
CJ ENM establishes first Korean entertainment subsidiary in Saudi Arabia
Entertainment conglomerate taps Middle East and North Africa as a new growth engine CJ ENM, a leading South Korean entertainment company, announced Wednesday the launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — becoming the first Korean entertainment firm to set up a local branch in the country. CJ ENM said it is positioning the Middle East and North Africa region as a strategic growth engine, aiming to integrate its expertise in content creation, production and distribution with the region's rapidly expanding entertainment infrastructure and cultural demand. Through this subsidiary, CJ ENM said it plans to pursue wide-ranging business collaborations across music, television, film, live entertainment and both scripted and unscripted content. This includes the development of audition programs based on CJ ENM's artist discovery initiatives in partnership with local studios. 'The MENA region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, presents unprecedented potential for cultural and commercial collaboration,' said Kim Hyun-soo, general manager of CJ ENM Middle East, via a press release. 'To build strong local networks and ensure stable operations, we are partnering with Sela — Saudi Arabia's leading live events and experiences company — to expand the influence of K-culture.' Since signing a strategic partnership in December 2024 to foster the development of the cultural business landscape, the company said it has been holding ongoing discussions with Sela to develop joint initiatives. Leveraging Sela's expertise in large-scale sports, music, and cultural events, CJ ENM's Saudi subsidiary will broaden collaboration with local stakeholders. CJ ENM's establishment of CJ ENM Middle East comes as the company aims to build ties with the MENA region. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture in 2022, followed by a 2023 MOU with Manga Productions, a Saudi Arabian content company, to co-produce and distribute content across animation, TV series, films, webtoons and media infrastructure. CJ ENM has also hosted KCON, the World's largest K-pop festival, in Saudi Arabia for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. In June, CJ ENM inked a major content deal with Shahid, the Middle East and North Africa region's largest Arabic-language streaming platform, to bring 20 high-quality Korean series to a broader MENA audience. According to CJ ENM, with over 62 percent of its population under the age of 30, Saudi Arabia represents a dynamic consumer base that shows strong demand for Korean content across entertainment, live performances, gaming and sports. "CJ ENM Middle East will serve as a regional anchor, coordinating with its Korean headquarters to accelerate pan-MENA collaboration. By combining its regional networks and production expertise, CJ ENM aims to broaden its global reach and solidify its position in premium content creation," said an official from CJ ENM via a press release.
