Physical AI, which allows artificial intelligence to interact directly with the physical world, is becoming increasingly integrated into daily life. At the world's largest robotics festival in Beijing, numerous robots ready for deployment in hotels, logistics, and security were unveiled. In South Korea, LG CNS is introducing security robots at the Tower Palace in Gangnam, expanding the role of robots into residential spaces.
According to the IT industry on August 20, Chinese company Unitree, which went public on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market on August 19, saw its stock price soar 629% on its first day, reaching 1,100 yuan from an initial offering price of 150.8 yuan. The company's market value peaked at 445 billion yuan (approximately $92 billion) during trading and closed at 341.8 billion yuan (about $71 billion). Unitree is the first humanoid robot company to list on the mainland Chinese stock market, with an IPO subscription rate of 8,000 to 1.
The surge in interest in the robotics industry, driven by the entry of physical AI into everyday applications, is seen as a key factor behind Unitree's successful IPO. The company plans to invest the 6.1 billion yuan (around $1.3 billion) raised from the listing into new product development and AI training model research to further enhance its technological edge.
Domestic analysts believe that Unitree's IPO success will improve investor sentiment towards local robotics stocks, such as Rainbow Robotics and Doosan Robotics.
The '2026 World Robot Conference (WRC)', which opened on the same day as Unitree's IPO in Beijing's Economic and Technological Development Zone, showcases this trend. Themed 'Coexistence of Humans and Machines, Integration of Production and Demand', the conference runs until August 23 and features over 300 participating companies, nearly doubling the number from two years ago (169 companies), with more than 3,000 exhibits.
The exhibition area, covering approximately 50,000 square meters, is divided into four sections: Smart Innovation Hall, Smart Integration Hall, Smart Manufacturing Hall, and Smart Experience Hall, featuring leading Chinese humanoid companies such as Unitree, Ubtech, Galaxy General, and Fourier.
Among the exhibits, 'working robots' captured the attention of visitors. A security robot dressed in a blue uniform and police-style hat attracted crowds, while a robot from Shenzhen-based AstriBot demonstrated its ability to organize bags with its claw-like hands. iFlytek, known for its translation AI, showcased a robot capable of navigating uneven surfaces and inspecting luggage while seated, proving its potential for deployment in delivery and logistics centers.
In a pre-conference event, a hotel robot technology competition demonstrated robots organizing water bottles and making beds, showcasing advancements in delicate tasks previously considered challenging for robots.
In South Korea, the application of physical AI in daily life is also beginning. On the same day, LG CNS signed a memorandum of understanding with Tower PMC, a residential facility management company, to establish a 'security robot solution service' and will introduce quadrupedal security robots at the Tower Palace in Gangnam.
The two companies will conduct technology verification over the next two months, aiming for actual operations in the fourth quarter. The robots will autonomously patrol common areas and underground parking lots, learning the layout and emergency data such as falls and fires based on LG CNS's robotic transformation platform, Physical Works. If a fire risk is detected, such as high heat at an electric vehicle charging station, the robot will immediately alert the management office.
LG CNS and Tower PMC plan to introduce security robots to other locations in the future, including Hannam The Hill, Acro Seoul Forest, and Raemian One Bailey. They also aim to establish a collaborative system between different types of robots, where security robots can request cleaning robots to handle discovered trash.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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