Hyundai Motor·Kia completed development of a robot AI chip and unveiled plans to realize "physical (physical) AI".
Hyundai Motor·Kia Robotics Lab said on the 9th that it participated in "CES Foundry 2026" held in Las Vegas, U.S., and, through cooperation with AI semiconductor specialist "DEEPX," completed development of an AI chip for "on-device (On-Device) AI" and finished preparations for mass production. "On-device (On-Device) AI" refers to a method in which artificial intelligence operates on the device itself rather than on cloud servers. In other words, it is a structure that enables real-time decision-making without a network connection.
CES Foundry is an exhibition and presentation program introduced for the first time at CES this year, intended for integrated discussion of three major innovation technologies: AI, blockchain, and quantum technology.
Hyundai Motor·Kia Robotics Lab head Hyun Dong-jin, who appeared as a joint speaker that day, said, "To realize physical AI, Robotics Lab is developing robot AI and software with the vision of 'robotization of space,'" and said, "We applied an AI controller developed in-house by Robotics Lab to facial recognition (Facey) and delivery robot (DAL-e Delivery) at 'Factorial Seongsu' from June 2024 and verified its performance and quality."
The on-device AI chip jointly developed by Hyundai Motor·Kia and DEEPX operates at ultra-low power below 5W and detects data in real time to perform perception and judgment. It is particularly reliable because it operates normally even in places where network connection is difficult, such as underground parking lots or logistics centers. In addition, robots can be developed in forms optimized for specific service areas, and unlike cloud-based AI, it does not go through a network, so it shows relatively faster response times and has advantages in security.
This collaboration is meaningful in that it achieved an optimal balance in terms of cost efficiency, performance, and supply stability by combining Hyundai Motor·Kia Robotics Lab's AI and software development capabilities with DEEPX's semiconductor technology.
Through this cooperation, Hyundai Motor·Kia secured an optimized solution to be installed in robots to be mass-produced in the future at an early stage, and at the same time strengthened flexibility and stability in terms of the supply chain. In particular, to solve social challenges such as an aging population, industrial safety, and labor shortages, it is essential for robots to operate in actual field sites, and Hyundai Motor·Kia expects that it will be possible to build a stable physical AI infrastructure through the on-device AI chip developed this time.
Hyundai Motor·Kia is actively promoting stable mass production of robots through the automotive industry value chain it has built over decades, and is strengthening cooperation with the domestic battery industry. In addition, it is expanding the scope of industrial application by actively conducting robot demonstration projects at various sites such as airports and hospitals, and is working to expand the domestic robotics ecosystem.
Hyundai Motor·Kia Robotics Lab head Hyun Dong-jin said, "Hyundai Motor·Kia Robotics Lab is not simply making robots but is building a sustainable robot ecosystem," and added, "The goal is to create the value users actually experience at the final touchpoint of the physical AI pipeline and to provide more people with efficient, smart robots that operate at low power."
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor·Kia won the Best of Innovation Awards in the robotics category at CES 2026 with the next-generation autonomous driving mobility robot platform "MobED (Mobile Eccentric Droid)" on the 4th, receiving recognition for its technological capabilities.
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