The K-humanoid robot industry is gradually being refined into a concrete industrial area as artificial intelligence technology, robot drive units, sensors, power electronics, and control technology develop together. In the past, robots were often perceived as experimental development targets for research institutions or some companies, but recently the field is expanding to a stage of reviewing applicability across various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, services, and defense.
This change is hard to explain as the movement of finished-robot companies alone. For the K-humanoid industry to gain real competitiveness, the reducers, actuators, sensors, batteries, controllers, software, research institutions, universities, and industry support organizations that make up robot joints must mesh together. Because a human-form robot in particular must realize motion in a form similar to a human, drive-unit design that can transmit strong force and realize stable operation within a confined space is treated as important.
Table of Contents
The Domestic Humanoid Industry
Key Summary — The K-humanoid industry is being concretized as robot industry promotion policy, materials-components-equipment self-reliance, and the activities of research institutions and industry support organizations increase together.
The K-humanoid robot industry is building a growth foundation as technology development demand and policy support act together. The government and related organizations view the robot industry as a field connected to manufacturing advancement, future service industries, and advanced component industries, and robots too are drawing attention within this broad direction.
In particular, the robot industry is hard to develop with finished products alone. Core components such as joint drive units, reducers, actuators, sensors, controllers, and power systems must be stably secured for actual product development and mass-production review to be possible. For this reason, the demand for self-reliance in the materials, components, and equipment area can be seen as an important background that strengthens the foundation of the K-humanoid industry.
The Configuration of the K-humanoid Industry Ecosystem
Key Summary — A human-form robot is a complex system in which many drive units such as the head, arms, hands, torso, and legs are combined, and component-level design capability is also needed for each joint to move stably.
A human-form robot is a complex system in which many drive units such as the head, arms, hands, torso, and legs are combined, and component-level design capability is needed together for each joint to move stably.
This ecosystem includes companies that develop finished robots, component companies that develop reducers and actuators, companies that supply sensors and power systems, organizations that research control algorithms and artificial intelligence technology, and university labs and research institutions. The areas each actor handles differ, but they share the common goal of ultimately realizing a robot that can move in real environments.
The experience Korea’s robot industry has already accumulated in the collaborative robot, service robot, and logistics robot fields can also help humanoid development. For example, the modularization of robot joint drive units, control methods that consider safety, and an understanding of environments where robots move together with workers are elements reviewed as important in robots as well.
It is hard to understand the overall structure of the K-humanoid industry by paying attention only to companies that make finished products. Actual industrial competitiveness can be strengthened when components, control, software, demonstration environments, and mass-production response capability are equipped together. In this respect, the humanoid industry can be seen as a structure in which finished-robot companies and component companies must grow together.
The Importance of Robot Component Self-Reliance
Key Summary — In a robot, the joint drive unit is a core element that governs the overall motion quality. Component self-reliance has been treated as a steadily important task in the K-humanoid industry.
In a robot, the joint drive unit is a core element that governs the overall motion quality. In the process of lifting an arm, maintaining body balance, realizing walking motion, and handling objects, each joint must withstand repeated loads and movement. Here, the reducer and actuator convert the motor’s rotational force into the needed form and output and transmit force so that the robot can perform the desired motion.
In the K-humanoid industry, the self-reliance of drive components has been treated as a steadily important task. If core components cannot be stably secured, the finished-product development schedule, product structure, maintenance, and supply-chain operation can be affected. Conversely, as component companies with design and manufacturing capability at home increase, robot development companies can broaden their options for reviewing and adjusting the drive unit in line with required specifications.
The Role of the Humanoid Component Company Bonsystems
Key Summary — For the K-humanoid industry to grow, the role of drive component companies matters as much as that of finished-robot companies. Bonsystems develops drive solutions based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology.
For the K-humanoid industry to grow, the role of companies that develop drive components matters as much as that of finished-robot development companies. A robot’s joint moves repeatedly within a confined space and must withstand large loads depending on the situation. For this reason, the reducer and actuator are treated as core components that affect the robot’s profile, weight, range of motion, and maintenance method.
Bonsystems develops drive solutions applicable to robot joints and automation equipment based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology. The BSR is a cycloidal reducer lineup, and the BCSA is an actuator-form drive solution that combines a frameless motor and reducer in a thin, compact structure.
The main technical characteristics of Bonsystems lie in strong power transmission based on a cycloidal reduction structure, a compact package, a Pinless structure, and a design direction that reduces the part count. The Pinless structure means a direction that reduces the pin parts once needed in conventional pin configurations and configures the reducer’s internal structure more simply. This design direction can help in the joint design of K-humanoid robots that must configure the drive unit within a confined space.
The humanoid robot industry is still a rapidly changing field. It is therefore hard to say that a single standard answer exists for every requirement. What matters is to review the drive unit in line with the robot’s purpose and structure and to examine applicability from the component level to the module level. Amid this industrial change, Bonsystems is broadening the role of a Korean robot component company based on cycloidal-based reducer and actuator technology.
F.A.Q
Q: Why is the K-humanoid industry drawing attention?
A: Korea’s human-form robot industry is drawing attention as advances in artificial intelligence technology, robot drive-unit design capability, and the industrial demand to diversify the core component supply chain mesh together. Because a human-form robot can review various work possibilities on the premise of the spaces and tools people use, it is drawing interest as one of the future robot platforms in various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, services, and defense.
Q: Why are reducers and actuators important in humanoid robots?
A: Reducers and actuators are the core drive units that transmit the force needed for a robot joint to move and realize motion. Because a robot is a structure with many joints packed together, drive-unit design that can realize stable operation within a confined space matters.
Q: What role can Bonsystems play in the K-humanoid industry?
A: Bonsystems develops drive solutions applicable to robot joints and automation equipment based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology. The BSR is a component-level reducer lineup, and the BCSA is an actuator lineup that combines the reducer and motor, which can be used in drive-unit design depending on the robot’s structure and purpose of use.
Q: What should be considered when designing the joint drive unit of a humanoid robot?
A: The joint drive unit must consider mounting space, repeated motion, load conditions, wiring structure, and maintenance method together. Rather than looking only at component performance, it is important to review whether it can move stably within the overall robot structure.
Q: How can the cycloidal reduction method be used in humanoid robots?
A: Because the cycloidal tooth profile has the structural characteristic of distributing loads through contact, it can be reviewed for drive units that need repeated movement, as in robot joints. When strong power transmission and stable operation are needed within a confined space, it can be used as one drive design approach.
