LG CNS is partnering with e-commerce company Curly to implement humanoid robots and enhance logistics automation at its centers. The collaboration aims to determine the types of robots and tasks suitable for the logistics environment through on-site suitability verification.
On May 18, LG CNS announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a proof of concept (PoC) for humanoid robots and logistics automation. The signing ceremony was attended by Curly Chief Operating Officer Heo Tae-young, LG CNS Executive Vice President Park Sang-kyun, and Executive Vice President Lee Jun-ho of the Smart Logistics and City Division, among other key executives from both companies.
The agreement outlines plans to leverage Curly's logistics infrastructure to develop humanoid robot suitability verification, logistics intelligence solutions, and explore new business opportunities.
Curly is enhancing its delivery services based on a retail tech-driven logistics infrastructure, expanding its offerings from fresh produce to beauty, fashion, and home goods.
The humanoid robot PoC at Curly's logistics center is a central element of this partnership. Both companies will identify logistics tasks that can reduce worker burdens and improve safety through robot implementation.
Additionally, they plan to verify the on-site suitability of LG CNS's robot learning and operation platform, 'Physical Works.' This will involve measuring and analyzing the robots' task accuracy, execution speed, and efficiency improvements compared to existing methods.
LG CNS will integrate automation equipment and logistics operating systems at Curly's logistics center to streamline the entire logistics process from receiving to storage, picking, and shipping. Previously, LG CNS has worked on the construction of Curly's Gimpo integrated logistics center and Changwon logistics center, acquiring expertise in managing ambient, refrigerated, and frozen environments in one location, as well as logistics know-how for rapid delivery.
Based on successful applications of humanoid robots in logistics centers, both companies plan to jointly explore new business opportunities and advance next-generation logistics intelligence driven by robotics.
Industry experts predict that by 2030, 25% of the global humanoid robot deployment will focus on logistics and warehousing, making logistics centers a key battleground for the robotics industry.
Recently, LG CNS unveiled its RX platform, 'Physical Works,' designed for real industrial applications. This platform enables quadrupedal robots, wheeled robots, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to operate independently and collaborate effectively.
Notably, demonstrations showed humanoid robots picking plastic bags off boxes on conveyor belts and passing them to quadrupedal robots for transport. Given that Curly's logistics center is expected to have a similar environment, the collaboration between Curly and LG CNS is anticipated to catalyze the growth of the domestic logistics robotics commercialization industry.
Heo Tae-young, Curly's COO, stated, "Curly is accumulating vast amounts of data from our logistics operations and leveraging data and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency. We hope to achieve innovation in logistics by connecting LG CNS's physical AI technology with our operational data."
Park Sang-kyun, Executive Vice President of LG CNS, remarked, "The combination of Curly's logistics operational expertise and LG CNS's technological capabilities can create significant synergies in the field of logistics automation. Through this collaboration, we aim to develop innovation technologies centered on the field."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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