CJ Logistics deploys humanoid robots at warehouses in Korea

Humanoid robots are moving from testing grounds into daily warehouse operations at CJ Logistics, marking what the company says is its first use of such robots in an actual logistics process.

CJ Logistics said Thursday it has deployed two humanoid robots at its Olive Young logistics center in Yangji, Yongin, where they are being used to place cushioning material inside boxes during packaging.

The move follows field testing at its Gunpo fulfillment center last year and is intended to turn data gathered from real logistics work into new training material for improving robot accuracy and responsiveness.

Unlike fixed automation equipment designed for standardized tasks, humanoid robots can work within spaces built for people and potentially shift between different jobs as products and orders change.

CJ Logistics is applying its own control technology, using logistics work data to develop what it describes as a robot foundation model (RFM) that serves as the robot’s “brain.”

The system combines information from vision and sensors with simulated data to help robots recognize their surroundings and determine how to act in unfamiliar products and work environments.

CJ Logistics said it plans to expand humanoid operations to picking, sorting, inspection and packaging, with an eventual goal of having one robot perform multiple logistics processes.

The company is also working with technology partners including Robotis, which provides hardware, Aidin Robotics, which develops robot-hand technology, and RealWorld AI, which is developing RFM technology.

CJ Logistics said it is also participating in government-backed projects, including efforts to develop humanlike robotic hands and broader systems for autonomous logistics operations.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.