[No Filter Robot] A Robot That Shook Hands Like a Friend... Inside the K-Humanoid Development Site

Focusing on the Challenge of Hands, Not Just Walking:
KIMM Bets Big on Humanoids

A Natural Handshake—A Different Experience from Dancing Chinese Robots

Chanhoon Park: "Developed in Just Six Months. We Can Do It Too"
Accelerating the Establishment of the Open Data Factory

Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist at The Asia Business Daily (third from the left in the front row), is posing for a commemorative photo with Kairos, a humanoid from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (fourth from the left in the front row), Chanhoon Park, Head of the AI Humanoid Global Top Strategy Research Group (fifth from the left in the front row), and the research team. Photo by KIMM

The reporter met the humanoid robot 'KAIROS' at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials in Daejeon on April 22. The purpose was to directly assess the capabilities of Kairos, which had previously been unveiled to the public at the 50th anniversary event of the institute. Upon meeting the robot, the impression was more about 'trust' than 'doubt'.

Guided by Chanhoon Park, Head of the AI Humanoid Global Top Strategy Research Group at the Ministry of Science and ICT, the reporter visited the Kairos development lab, where several Kairos robots were present. This was a different scene from the previous visit to the lab last year. It was apparent that there had been tremendous changes in just over a year since the full-scale development of humanoids began.

Several researchers were working on different Kairos units. Not every Kairos is identical. While their appearance may be similar, it was explained that their performance is being continuously improved throughout the development process.

One researcher began operating a computer to control the robot. With a humming sound, Kairos started operating. After the researcher removed the safety line that had been securing Kairos, the robot stood upright. Then, the robot walked over to the reporter.

The reporter asked Park if it was okay to shake hands with the robot. Park confidently replied, "Yes, you can do all of that." As the reporter approached Kairos and reached out a hand, the robot gently bowed its head and softly grasped the reporter's hand.

It was surprising. The reporter had previously shaken hands with a Chinese-made Unitree robot, but the sensation and strength felt in the hand were different. Although it was a robot, it felt similar to a human hand. Kairos may be somewhat slower than overseas competitors in terms of walking and movement, but its hand pressure control is much more precise.

The Strategic Research Group at KIMM is focusing its research capabilities on the robot's hands, especially on replicating the texture of human skin. The institute believes that Korea has a strong chance of excelling in the field of robotic hands. Both academia and industry consider hands to be the most challenging part to implement in humanoid robots. For this reason, even leading global companies have not yet established overwhelming dominance in the field of robotic hands. After the handshake, Kairos began to feel less like an unfamiliar robot and more like a 'friend'.

Of course, there is still a long way to go. Park explained, "The Chinese robots that dance are smaller in height, unlike Kairos, which is about the height of an adult. It is still not easy for a robot the size of Kairos to perform strenuous demonstration movements." Kairos was nearly the same height as the reporter, who is 178cm tall. Its movements are still sluggish and unnatural.

Park introduced Kairos as a robot that was built in just about six months and expressed his gratitude to the research team for their hard work. While inspecting each joint of the robot, Park recalled, "To stay ahead of the United States and China, our researchers worked day and night." This was possible because the researchers are not bound by the 52-hour workweek regulations.

Park referred to the researcher in charge of robot manufacturing as the 'factory manager.' He emphasized the team's dedication, saying, "The schedule was tight, but we made it this far fueled by a single passion, 'We can do it too.'"

Park's sights are already set on the next phase. He expressed confidence, saying, "We will finally put an end to the frustrations caused by the lack of a domestic universal research platform." Park plans to cultivate Kairos as a standardized Korean humanoid platform and to integrate the necessary data for robots through the 'Open Data Factory' operated by the Strategic Research Group. He explained, "If Kairos is the muscles and skeleton of our body, the Data Factory is the school where that body can learn and grow."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.