There has been a noticeable increase in talk about robots lately.
Humanoid robots that walk like people, delivery robots that travel on sidewalks, and machines that move only a single arm inside factories are all grouped under the one word “robot.”
But the regulations that apply to these three, as well as the number of units actually sold, are all different.
3-line summary
1. Robots are first divided into industrial robots and service robots.
2. South Korea’s manufacturing robot density is 1,220 units per 10,000 workers.
3. The law treats robots that travel on sidewalks as pedestrians.
There are requirements for something to be called a “robot”
International standard ISO 8373 defines an industrial robot as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulation device that moves along 3 or more axes.
This excludes quite a lot. A machine made to repeat only one action, and therefore unable to perform another task, does not fall under this definition no matter how complex it is. The line between automated equipment and a robot is not performance, but whether it can be repurposed.
The arms that weld and paint vehicle bodies in automobile factories fall into this category. They operate without a person standing beside them, repeating a specified trajectory all day.
Service robots come with one additional condition
Robots that carry plates in restaurants, cleaning robots that move around buildings, and robots that lift shelves in logistics warehouses operate in an environment that is fundamentally different from that of industrial robots. People are nearby.
Factory robots ensure safety by physically separating people with fences. But you cannot put up fences in a restaurant.
That is why collaborative robots that work in the same space as people are subject to separate safety standards. ISO/TS 15066 sets permissible force and pressure when a robot collides with a person, divided by body part. The limits differ for force applied to the forehead and force applied to the forearm.
If a robot appears slow, it may not be because its performance is poor. It must reduce its speed to stay within these limits.
South Korea is already No. 1 in the world in this field
In the International Federation of Robotics’ 2024 figures from its World Robotics report, South Korea’s robot density was 1,220 units per 10,000 workers, the highest in the world. Robot density measures the number of industrial robots per 10,000 workers.
The United States ranked 8th with 307 units. Average density by region was 267 units in Western Europe, 204 units in North America, and 131 units in Asia.
The International Federation of Robotics cited South Korea’s developed electronics and automobile industries, which have high demand for robots, as the reason it leads.
There is something to note here. These figures count only industrial robots. Humanoid robots, which are currently receiving attention, are barely captured in these statistics. Ranking first in robot density and competitiveness in humanoids are different matters.
Robots that travel on sidewalks are legally pedestrians
Surprisingly few people know this.
Starting on 2023년 11월 17일, amendments to the Intelligent Robots Act and the Road Traffic Act took effect, granting pedestrian status to outdoor mobile robots that have received operational safety certification. Before then, there was no legal basis for them to travel on sidewalks.
Robots subject to certification must have a mass of 500kg or less and a speed of 15km/h or less. They must pass 16 criteria, including compliance with designated operating areas and crossing at crosswalks, at an institution designated by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Since they have become pedestrians, they must follow pedestrian rules. They may not violate traffic signals or jaywalk. However, because robots cannot be fined, a violation results in a fine of 3 man-won being imposed on the operator. Anyone operating a robot on a sidewalk is also required to obtain insurance or join a mutual-aid program.
This structure, which places responsibility back on a person rather than the machine, will serve as a framework applied in the same way to other autonomous machines to come.
Why the term “physical AI” has become more common
The outputs of AI that writes sentences and creates images remain on a screen. If it is wrong, you can delete it.
For AI installed in robots, the output is the movement of joints. It turns information from cameras and force sensors into physical actions. If it is wrong, objects break or people get hurt. This means the nature of failure itself is different, and the required training data is not text but records of movement.
This is also why humanoid robots are attracting attention. Stairs, door handles, tools, and workbenches are all designed for the human body. If robots are made in human form, the environment does not need to be modified.
What I am watching is not the outward appearance of a human form, but this calculation: which is cheaper, the cost of redesigning a factory or the cost of giving a robot two legs? That comparison ultimately determines a robot’s form.
Demonstration videos and mass production are different stages. What can actually be verified is not an impressive movement, but how many units operated where and for how many hours.
When a robot appears in an article, ask first: Is it inside a factory, or beside people? Separating just those two makes half the article easier to read.
Assessments of individual companies or stocks are outside the scope of this article, and investment decisions should be discussed with a professional.
Sources
- International Federation of Robotics World Robotics Report — Robot Density
- KBS South Korea’s robot density ranks “No. 1 in the world”... “1,220 robots per 10,000 employees”
- Republic of Korea Policy Briefing “Outdoor mobile robots” can now travel on sidewalks... Delivery and patrol robots permitted