LG CNS has taken a stake in Silicon Valley robotics startup Dexmate as the Korean technology services company moves to deploy humanoid robots in industrial workplaces such as warehouses and factories.
The investment, announced Tuesday, was made through LG Technology Ventures, the venture capital arm of LG Group. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Dexmate, based in Santa Clara, California, develops mobile humanoid robots designed for logistics and manufacturing environments. According to LG CNS, the company’s robots are used by robotics AI developers as a research hardware platform.
Unlike many humanoid robots under development that rely on bipedal walking, Dexmate’s system uses an omnidirectional wheeled base paired with a humanoid upper body equipped with two arms and vision sensors. The design prioritizes stability and long operating times in industrial facilities.
The robot has more than 36 degrees of freedom, allowing precise two-handed manipulation, and can handle loads of about 15 kilograms with both arms combined. According to Dexmate, it can operate for up to 20 hours on a single charge.
LG CNS plans to combine the hardware with what it calls a “full-stack RX service,” integrating three components required for large-scale robot deployment: robot hardware, a robot foundation model that functions as the AI control system, and a platform for operating and training robots.
Robot foundation models are AI systems that translate instructions into physical actions, enabling robots to perform varied tasks without being individually programmed.
The company has been expanding partnerships to build this technology stack. In June last year, LG CNS invested in US-based robotics AI developer Skild AI to advance robot foundation models tailored to industrial environments.
According to LG CNS, humanoid robots trained on industrial data are currently being tested in proof-of-concept projects across more than 10 sites, including logistics centers, factories and shipbuilding facilities.
“Beyond technology verification, our goal is to establish a business model that can be deployed directly in real industrial environments,” said Lee Jun-ho, executive vice president and head of LG CNS’ smart logistics and city business unit.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
