RS Automation CEO Kang Deokhyun Proposes Shift in Robot Component Policy at National Assembly Forum

Kang Deokhyun, CEO of RS Automation, proposed shifting policies to support the domestic robot component industry from a focus on research and development to a market-oriented approach that connects development with product adoption, repeat purchases, mass production, and exports.

Kang made the proposal as a presenter at the National Assembly Forum on AI and Robotics Industry Ecosystem Strategies, held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on October 21. Hosted by the Korea Association of Robot Industry and sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the forum brought together around 100 representatives from industry, academia, research institutions, and government, including RS Automation, to discuss current issues and growth strategies for the AI and robotics industry.

Kang stressed that the domestic robot component industry needs policy support to expand demand, establish common interfaces, and pave the way for entry into global markets if it is to take another step forward. He said an ecosystem-wide foundation must be established so that the technological achievements individual companies secure through development can translate into greater competitiveness across the industry and tangible sales.

He pointed out that supplying domestic robot manufacturers with locally made components alone would not give component makers stable demand or economies of scale. Instead, they need to move beyond supply structures tied to specific finished products, build a product base that can be used across a range of robots—including humanoid, industrial, logistics, and service robots, as well as AI factories—and expand their customer base overseas.

As measures to achieve this, he proposed a shared component platform and a joint verification system. The approach would connect manufacturers' differing communications, data, and control standards through common interfaces and establish shared testing and reliability assessment systems to improve component compatibility. This, he explained, could reduce verification costs and initial quality burdens when adopting new components.

On the technology front, he proposed building an ecosystem based on an "agentic robot platform." In this structure, AI breaks tasks down and combines the skills needed, then translates them into real robot movements through standardized motion commands and drive interfaces.

Kang said that combining AI software with software for key robot drive components could strengthen technological differentiation and increase added value. His vision is that common protocols connecting task intelligence with robot drive components, together with a Korean open robot skills library, would enable component makers to participate in a range of robot platforms without being tied to the specifications of any one finished-product manufacturer.

He also proposed expanding government policy beyond the research and development stage to cover the entire commercialization process. This would involve linking support at each stage, from overseas testing and certification to initial supply, mass-production facility construction, and securing export channels, while building a track record of initial deliveries through public-sector demand and industry-specific trials. He stressed the need for a support system that helps validated products lead to follow-up orders, repeat purchases, and overseas supply.

RS Automation, which has core drive technologies such as motion controllers, servo drives, and encoders, is developing a physical AI drive platform that translates AI decisions into precise movements. Its strategy is to improve the performance, compatibility, and reliability of drive components in line with advances in AI-based robotics, and expand the foundation for domestic component makers to participate in a wide range of robot platforms and global supply chains.

"At this forum, the success of robot component policies should be assessed based on actual product adoption, repeat purchases, mass production, and export performance, rather than simply on development results or the number of components developed," Kang said. "Creating a policy environment that organically connects technological development, market entry, and commercialization will give the domestic robot component industry a foundation for sustainable growth."

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