Hyundai Motor and Kia will begin domestic sales of the small mobility robot platform "MobED." Along with this, they said they will build a multilateral cooperation ecosystem centered on MobED to supply turnkey solutions optimized for customer environments.
Hyundai Motor and Kia said on the 4th that they took part in the 2026 Automation World (AW2026) held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, held a launch ceremony for the "MobED Alliance," and officially began domestic sales of MobED.
At the launch ceremony, officials from Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab attended, along with officials from major parts suppliers such as Hyundai Transys and SL Corporation, and officials from robot solution corporations such as LS THiRA-UTECH and Gaon Robotics.
The alliance was formed to go beyond simple hardware adoption and supply customized solutions that can be deployed directly to industrial sites.
At the core of the alliance, MobED is a new small mobility robot platform from Hyundai Motor and Kia with an innovative wheel drive system. It offers excellent scalability by flexibly combining various "top modules" to meet demand by industry. It can be used across a wide range of sectors, including outdoor delivery, patrol, research, and video shooting.
Based on this scalability, Hyundai Motor and Kia decided to supply turnkey solutions to the market with expert partners in each field, rather than selling the platform alone.
The MobED Alliance will operate as a four-party cooperation system involving the Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab, domestic parts suppliers, robot solution corporations, and related institutions. The Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab will provide MobED platform development and core technology foundations, and 10 parts suppliers including Hyundai Transys will handle production and supply of key components such as sensors, electronics, and batteries.
In addition, five robot solution corporations including LS THiRA-UTECH will handle industry-specific service configuration and on-site deployment, and related institutions such as the Korea AI and Robotics Industry Association will support validation and adoption environments to complete a virtuous cycle structure for the domestic robotics industry.
In particular, because robot solution corporations best understand on-site requirements by industry, they plan to develop 10 industry-specific "top modules"—including logistics delivery, patrol drone stations, and advertising billboards—to mount on top of MobED and deliver to customers.
Through this alliance, Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to establish a business structure to supply MobED to the B2B and B2G markets and to make it a starting point for a sustainable ecosystem model that strengthens the overall competitiveness of the domestic robotics industry.
At AW2026, Hyundai Motor and Kia unveiled the mass-production model of MobED in Korea for the first time and set up a large experience booth measuring 180㎡ (about 54 pyeong) so customers can directly experience MobED's technology. Structures such as drainage channels, undulations, ramps, and curbs that simulate real outdoor environments are arranged to showcase the mobility to overcome terrain that existing autonomous mobile robots find difficult to traverse.
Hyun Dong-jin, executive director and head of the Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab, said, "Recognized for its innovativeness on the global stage, MobED has been reborn as a more advanced robot solution through this alliance," adding, "Hyundai Motor and Kia will work with core partners to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic robotics industry and take the lead in expanding the physical AI ecosystem."