"The core of humanoids (human-type robots) is precise force control and real-time responsiveness. RS Automation is positioned to handle the joints and nervous system of humanoids through high-performance servo drives, encoders, and motion control technologies."
Kang Deok-hyeon, CEO of the robotics and motion control specialist RS Automation, said this in a recent interview. Kang established the company in 2009 by acquiring the component controller institutional sector from Rockwell Samsung Automation after working at Samsung Aerospace and Rockwell Samsung Automation. It sequentially localized the core parts corresponding to the robot's brain (controller), muscles (drive), and senses (encoder), building up robotic nervous system technology. It developed Korea's first capacitive encoder. The company was selected in 2025 as a participating company in the 1 trillion won "K-humanoid alliance" led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, and is leading the localization of core robot motion control technologies and parts. Kang is also serving as the inaugural chair of the Council of Robot Parts Companies, established in Mar. of the same year. The following is a Q&A.
─What led you to choose localization of core robot parts?
"Korea's robot and automation industry has long relied on overseas sources for core parts and control technologies. We focused on localizing technologies corresponding to the robot nervous system—servo drives, encoders, and motion control—and in the process, we worked with Samsung Electronics and Rockwell Samsung Automation to have our technical reliability verified internationally. I think this shows not just component supply but also the possibility that Korea's robot industry can enter the global market with its own technology."
─What is RS Automation's unique technological edge?
"There are three core elements. High-performance servo drives and multi-axis motion control based on EtherCAT1), high-resolution encoder technologies using optical and capacitive methods, and software-based tuning and diagnostics that leverage field data. We are evolving into a "motion platform company" by combining software with our hardware strengths."
─Did you face any hurdles during localization?
"The biggest challenge is not the technology itself but 'earning trust.' In a market where overseas products have become the standard, getting users to adopt domestic products requires more than technical prowess. Through long-term proof tests, customer-specific tuning, and disclosure of quality data, we earned the evaluation that 'once you try it, it's hard to switch.'"
─Kang Deok-hyeon (right), CEO of RS Automation, in a meeting with a U.S. partner. How is RS Automation positioned in the global market?
"We have maintained a partnership for more than 30 years with Rockwell Samsung Automation, the No. 1 player in the U.S. automation sector, and also work with Schneider Electric SE, Europe's No. 1, and Yaskawa Electric, Japan's largest robot maker. In Korea, our main customers are semiconductor, display, secondary battery, and robot manufacturers. Overseas, we are expanding partnerships with global automation corporations and system integrators (SIs), focusing on the United States, Europe, and Japan. In particular, the share of sales in the U.S. market is growing rapidly. Our global strategy centers on not just exporting but collaborating with local partners, participating in technical standards, and pursuing localization."
─You are participating in the "K-humanoid alliance." What role are you taking on?
"The core of humanoids is precise force control and real-time responsiveness. We are positioned to handle the joints and nervous system of humanoids through high-performance servos, encoders, and motion control technologies. We believe investment in control algorithms combined with AI and tuning technologies based on real-time learning will be important going forward."
─As the inaugural chair of the Council of Robot Parts Companies, what do you ask of the government and industry?
"The robot industry is not one where 'one failure means the end'; it is an accumulative industry. Rather than short-term, performance-oriented support, we need continuous support over 5 to 10 years so that core technology corporations can endure. The technological level of Korean humanoids is sufficient, but there are still limits in creating the initial market, such as securing references and achieving standards and certifications. If the government focuses on test beds centered on real-world validation, securing public references, and supporting standardization, the industry will grow faster."
─You recently declared a transition to a physical AI platform specialist corporation.
"We are not a simple manufacturing corporation. Based on high-quality internal data generated from servo drives and encoders, we are strengthening our software platform capabilities in tuning automation, predictive diagnostics, and simulation. This provides a foundation that can expand into a physical AI-based robot and automation ecosystem over the long term."
─What are your future plans?
"We were affected by the global economic slowdown and reduced investment by large corporations, but 2026 is entering a recovery phase. Sales of robot motion controllers are showing clear growth, and new projects in the energy control field are becoming visible. We are focusing the funds secured through a paid-in capital increase in 2025 on forward-looking investments such as business innovation, facility investment, and new product development. Our goal is to become an indispensable robot motion platform company in the global robot and automation market. To younger founders, I want to urge you not to give up on technology too quickly. It takes time, but real technology ultimately survives in the market."
Glossary
1) EtherCAT
An Ethernet-based industrial communication method. A communication protocol that allows various equipment—sensors, actuators, servo motors, and robot controllers—to exchange information in real time. Developed by Beckhoff Automation, released in 2003.
※ This article was published in the Mar. issue of the monthly magazine "Tongsang." Please search for "Monthly Tongsang" on Naver.