Lotte Innovate is expanding its business area beyond the software-based artificial intelligence (AI) business to the “physical AI” field combined with physical robots.
Lotte Innovate announced on the 12th that it will create core values of group companies with the aim of commercializing ‘RaaS/Robot as a Service’ based on general-purpose physical AI such as distribution and manufacturing. To this end, Lotte Innovate has established a dedicated organization related to physical AI and robots in August last year, and is continuously expanding related commercialization and research organizations.
The core of the project is to combine the hardware of China’s leading robot company Unity with Lotte Innovate’s own software. The robot uses a small humanoid robot “G1” that is 132 centimeters tall and weighs 35 kilograms. G1 is attracting attention in the robot market because it has excellent stability and supports various open sources.
The software, which acts as the robot’s brain, is equipped with Lotte Innovate’s own AI platform, iMembers. The company emphasized that it has simultaneously secured data sovereignty and optimized performance by transplanting advanced AI engines such as STT (voice recognition), TTS (voice synthesis), LLM (giant language model), and vision technology. Lotte Innovate plans to expand the application range of iMember to various devices without being bound by specific hardware in the future.
In particular, the humanoid robot promoted by Lotte Innovate aims for a general-purpose solution that integrates AI data and experiences specialized in various industrial sites such as distribution, manufacturing, construction, and food. For example, in the case of distribution sites, robots are expected to increase work efficiency and safety by identifying inventory and security patrols after the end of business, as well as risk tasks in areas that are difficult for humans to access at manufacturing and chemical sites.
Currently, Lotte Innovate has completed the construction of a “robot control platform” that can monitor and control robots in real time. In addition, it has completed the development of services using autonomous driving functions and mobile ID recognition, and is also stepping up research on robot gripper (hand)-based physical AI for delicate motion.
“Based on our continuous accumulation of AI technology, we will actively advance into the physical AI field and provide innovative solutions to various business areas of Lotte Group,” a company official said. “We will introduce humanoid robots in various sites within the group in stages such as distribution, logistics, manufacturing, and service to simultaneously increase work efficiency and customer experience.”
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