Lotte Innovate announced on the 13th that it will expand from its software-centric AI business into the field of physical AI (AI that operates in the physical world) by combining it with physical robots. The company plans to commercialize a general-purpose physical AI-based RaaS (Robot as a Service) model and supply the solution to business sites within the Lotte Group. Following the establishment of a dedicated physical AI organization in August last year, it is increasing its research and commercialization personnel.

The core of the business is the combination of Lotte Innovate’s AI platform “i-MEMBER” with the humanoid robot G1 from China’s Unitree. The G1 is a compact robot measuring 132cm in height and weighing 35kg, with strengths in open-source compatibility and hardware stability. By equipping it with i-MEMBER’s STT (speech recognition), TTS (speech synthesis), LLM (large language model), and vision (image analysis) engines, the company has secured data security and performance. It plans to expand to various other hardware in the future. Unitree’s robots from China are currently evaluated as having one of the most advanced technological capabilities on the market.

This robot will have versatility by integrating industry-specific data from sectors such as retail, manufacturing, construction, food, and services. In retail environments, it is expected to improve operational efficiency and safety by handling tasks such as inventory checks and patrols after business hours, while in manufacturing and chemical sectors it will substitute for work in hazardous areas.

Lotte Innovate has prepared a control platform that monitors robot status in real time as it reviews deployment at group sites. The company has completed development of autonomous driving and mobile ID recognition functions, and is also conducting research on physical AI using a gripper (grasping device).

An official at Lotte Innovate stated, “We will apply our accumulated AI technology to physical AI to add innovation to the group’s businesses. By gradually introducing robots in the retail, logistics, manufacturing, and service sectors, we will enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.”

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