Manho Rope & Wire is joining hands with global industrial artificial intelligence (AI) corporations Advantech to co-develop humanoids and a physical AI platform.
Manho Rope & Wire said on the 13th that it will sign a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) for "co-developing a humanoid and physical AI platform" at its Changwon plant with Advantech KR and its subsidiary MH Systems.
The agreement was arranged to combine industrial AI, robotics, and advanced control technologies to jointly develop next-generation humanoids and a physical AI platform and to push the commercialization of related technologies.
Advantech, founded in 1983 in Taiwan, is a corporations in industrial computers (IPC) and industrial AI, focusing on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Edge Computing, embedded systems, and AI platforms. Recently, it has been expanding its business in AI controllers and edge computing platforms targeting the Humanoid Robot and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) markets.
Under the agreement, the two sides plan to jointly develop next-generation robot platform technologies, including control technologies for humanoids and quadruped robots, high-precision actuators and reducers, Computer Vision, sensor fusion technologies, and robot operating software (OS).
They will also divide roles. Manho Rope & Wire will handle specialty alloy steel wire and core actuator material technologies, and MH Systems will develop control systems for robot controllers and energy storage systems (ESS). Advantech will provide industrial AI and Edge Computing platform technologies to build a physical AI platform that spans materials, control, and intelligence.
The jointly developed platform is expected to be applied not only to Humanoid Robots but also to a range of industries, including defense, future mobility, Smart Logistics, and AI data centers.
Jeong Jungyo, CEO of Advantech KR, said, "A physical AI platform that connects AI, robots, and industrial data will become a key competitive edge in future industries," adding, "We will actively support domestic corporations' AI transformation and their push into the global robotics industry."
Im Gwanheon, CEO of Manho Rope & Wire, said, "This agreement is a starting point for building a robotics industry value chain that spans from materials to control and intelligence by combining Manho Rope & Wire's specialty alloy material technologies and MH Systems' controller and control technologies with Advantech's industrial AI and edge computing platform technologies."
He added, "Based on close technological cooperation with Advantech, we will jointly develop core technologies for a physical AI-based autonomous manufacturing platform and Humanoid Robots, and lead the AI transformation (AX) of Korea's manufacturing sector and the strengthening of its global competitiveness."