KAPEX

KAPEX represents South Korea's ambitious national entry into the global humanoid robotics race, co-developed by LG Electronics, LG AI Research, and KIST (Korea Institute of Science and Technology) and unveiled in November 2025. The name symbolizes both reaching the apex of robotics evolution and exploring unknown possibilities.

Unlike traditional humanoids limited to mimicking human movements, KAPEX can learn independently, adapt to changing environments, perform precise manipulation, and collaborate naturally with humans. The robot incorporates LG AI Research's EXAONE Vision Language model-based robot brain technology, enabling sophisticated understanding and interaction capabilities.

Key innovations include high-output full-body actuators developed domestically to enhance Korea's technological self-sufficiency, and a multi-finger robotic hand with tactile sensing as delicate as a human hand. Reinforcement learning and VLM-based augmented AI learning abilities enable complex environment perception and autonomous walking. KAPEX is designed as an 'intelligent companion' that learns and grows through experience.

Backed by approximately $150 million allocated by Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2025 for humanoid R&D, infrastructure, and testing, KAPEX targets commercialization within four years. Applications span households, logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare. The project addresses Korea's conspicuous absence from a humanoid market projected to reach $38 billion by 2035, where the US has 5 established players led by Tesla and Figure AI.