CJ Logistics is speeding up work to deploy Humanoid Robots at its logistics centers within the year. Around the world, including in the United States, the logistics industry is unveiling Humanoid Robots that perform advanced tasks, and some corporations have even begun efforts to replace delivery drivers with robots.
According to the logistics industry on the 26th, CJ Logistics is currently preparing Humanoid Robots for introduction at its logistics centers in partnership with domestic robot company ROBOTIS. The company is in the stage of fixing issues identified during the pilot at the end of last year, with plans to commercialize within the year. A CJ Logistics official said, "We will start by deploying two to three Humanoid Robots at one or two logistics centers," adding, "We plan to gradually expand the scope of tasks and increase both the number of robots and the centers where they are introduced."
CJ Logistics plans to first assign Humanoid Robots to put cushioning material into boxes. It may seem simple, but the job requires accuracy and speed, as they must pick up boxes of different sizes, place them on the workbench without colliding with other boxes, and insert cushioning material without damage.
A CJ Logistics official said, "Ultimately, our goal is to train Humanoid Robots to make judgments on their own like people and deploy them to high-risk tasks such as loading and unloading parcels."
Attempts to deploy Humanoid Robots for logistics work are underway worldwide. In many cases, the technology level is ahead of Korea. On the 21st of last month, U.S. robot company Figure AI live-streamed on YouTube four of its Humanoid Robots, "Figure 03," sorting about 250,000 parcels over 200 hours.
They picked up a constant stream of boxes and plastic-bag parcels, rotated them so the invoice faced downward, and pushed them onto the adjacent conveyor belt. When parcels were tangled, they bent their upper bodies, stretched out their arms, and brought them to the workbench.
U.S. e-commerce corporation Amazon has been deploying "Digit," a Humanoid Robot developed by robot company Agility Robotics, at its logistics sites since 2023. It can move around warehouses, remove empty boxes, and perform repetitive pick-and-place tasks.
In addition, Amazon is using a tactile robot that does not damage items and robots that use multiple arms to pick and organize items simultaneously. According to the New York Times (NYT), Amazon expects sales to double by 2033, and while that would normally require hiring more than 600,000 workers, it sees no need for additional hiring thanks to robotic automation.
In Korea, LG CNS is pushing to introduce Humanoid Robots at LX Pantos logistics centers. When shuttle robots retrieve items scheduled for outbound from the warehouse, Humanoid Robots will receive the items and load them onto automated sorting equipment or robots. Coupang is currently piloting Rainbow Robotics' Humanoid Robot "RB-Y1." Coupang Chairman Bom Kim said last year that the company "will drive a transformation in Coupang operations, including automation with AI and strengthening Humanoid Robots."
Behind the logistics industry's push to introduce Humanoid Robots is "a labor shortage." Daniel Diez, chief business officer (CBO) at Agility Robotics, told Business Insider, "The same phenomenon is appearing in every country we visit, including Germany, Korea, Japan and the United States: there is a severe shortage of people willing to do monotonous, repetitive physical labor," adding, "Robots that walk on two legs can be easily integrated into brownfield (conventional facilities) settings."
There are also moves to replace the "last mile (final delivery stage)"—taking items from logistics centers to customers—with robots. On the 21st, Liu Qiangdong, chairman of Chinese e-commerce corporation JD.com, said, "In the future, robots will deliver parcels, and before long a day will come when delivery drivers are virtually unnecessary."
JD.com has even prepared a retraining program to transition its 700,000-strong frontline workforce into robot maintenance personnel. In the suburbs of Chinese cities, it is already common to see delivery robots moving autonomously.
However, the prevailing view is that fully replacing delivery drivers with robots will be difficult to realize in Korea anytime soon. Labor groups are bound to push back strongly, and there are technical and regulatory hurdles. A parcel industry official said, "If robots travel on roads to make deliveries, the risk of damage and other issues is high, and because it would be a form of Autonomous Driving, there are many obstacles," adding, "Robots replacing delivery drivers in Korea is still a long way off."