Mass Production of Optimus and Atlas Nears... 'Robot Eyes' Will Determine the Success of Physical AI

On the 3rd (local time), a robot is dancing at the AI Connecting IDEAS exhibition at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 held at the Fira Gran Via exhibition center in Barcelona, Spain. 2026.3.3 Photo by Jinhyung Kang

The projected size of the global humanoid robot market has been revised upward by more than six times compared to previous estimates. As competition among major global automakers intensifies, both mass production and commercialization of humanoid robots are accelerating.

According to foreign media reports, production facilities for Tesla's Optimus are expected to begin operation as early as the end of July. Hyundai Motor Group, after unveiling its mass-production model 'Atlas', is scheduled to officially open the Robot Meta-Plant Application Center (RMAC) in August.

China's Unitree Robotics is seeking to go public on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and Samsung Electronics is reportedly initiating restructuring efforts to strengthen its advanced robotics business as part of its 'AI Great Transformation' agenda.

Against this backdrop, the ability of robots to precisely perceive reality has emerged as a key performance indicator. This is because their 'eyes'—comprising cameras, LiDAR, ToF (time-of-flight) sensors, and more—allow them to recognize their surroundings for tasks such as walking and manipulation.

Such 3D sensing technology is considered essential infrastructure for spatial intelligence, an area emphasized by both Nvidia and the humanoid robot industry. Nvidia stresses that the safety and performance of robots throughout the entire process of detection, decision-making, and action depend on their sensors and perception architecture. McKinsey has also analyzed that the sensing sector offers high scalability and highlighted the importance of stability and mass production capabilities.

Industry experts believe that Korean companies with proven autonomous driving references will have an advantage in entering the humanoid robot supply chain. Nvidia's emphasis on robotics collaboration with Korea and Goldman Sachs' designation of Korea as a key country in the next-generation humanoid supply chain are interpreted as recognition of this competitiveness. As it is expected that humanoid robots will be equipped with more than 10 camera modules—far exceeding the number used in smartphones—related companies are drawing attention.

LG Innotek is expanding its vision sensing business division, which provides robots with 'eyes' by integrating cameras and lighting systems. LG Innotek's vision sensing is expected to be adopted by Boston Dynamics, which is part of Hyundai Motor Group.

SOS Lab, whose largest client is Hyundai Motor, participates as an official partner for LiDAR sensors in Nvidia's autonomous robot software platform. Nvidia has already indicated intentions to collaborate with Hyundai Motor Group as well.

Namuga, which has focused on smartphone camera modules as its main business, is now expanding into vision solutions for robots and mobility applications. Recently, Namuga was selected as a supplier of 3D sensing modules for global automakers and robot platforms.

CoAsia CM is pursuing the commercialization of ToF-based 3D sensing camera modules for supply to global automakers' humanoid robots. The company is currently undergoing customer evaluations for mass production supply and aims to begin large-scale production next year.

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