The verified answer
As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies KIST Robotics: 1 model. 3 sources back the record.
CategoryHumanoids
Overview
KIST Robotics is the robotics research division of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), South Korea's first multidisciplinary government research institute, founded in 1966. Operating primarily through its Center for Intelligent and Interactive Robotics and the broader Artificial Intelligence and Robot Institute (AIR), KIST develops humanoid, service, medical, and wearable robots — including the Mahru humanoid series co-developed with Samsung, the MOONWALK gait-assist wearable, and the DELI-BUDDY delivery robot. With ~250 researchers, AIR is one of Korea's largest AI and robotics research institutes.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Key facts
Headquarters
Status
Type
AI and robotics institute
Robot vision research
Data & sources
Web sources
3
3 sources backing this record.View all →
Models (1)
View all models →Partnerships
Every company KIST Robotics has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most-frequent partners
- 1WIRobotics1× joint4 total
Most recent
KIST Robotics on the deployment map
View the global mapKIST Robotics has no verified deployments on the DEPLOY registry yet. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
No verified deployments for KIST Robotics on the DEPLOY record yet. Track KIST Robotics to know the moment the first one is verified.
Relationships
Current leadership (2)
- Ig-Jae Kim Director-General, AI & Robot Institutesecondary-verified
- KangGeon Kim Principal Research Scientist & Lab Directorsecondary-verified
Safety record
No incidents on record for KIST Robotics.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
KIST Robotics in third-party press
Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Dobot6 models
- AgiBot5 models
- AheadForm5 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- aggregator_estimate
- Lifecycle stage
- early
- Counterparty risk class
- unknown
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Partnerships
1 total · 1 just announced
Every company KIST Robotics has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most recent
Most-frequent partners
- 1WIRobotics1× joint4 total
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdAug 9, 2026
Added to the verified registry
Sources (3)
Common questions
What is KIST Robotics?
What does KIST Robotics make?
Is KIST Robotics publicly traded?
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Who owns KIST Robotics?
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Is KIST Robotics a top robotics company?
Is KIST Robotics safe?
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-09-29
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-09-29
Sources by quality tier
- 3
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for KIST Robotics.Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Dobot6 models
- AgiBot5 models
- AheadForm5 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning KIST Robotics from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
KIST to establish research center in Boston for bio, AI collaboration
KIST announced the Korea-Boston Bridge Center for global research collaboration in biotechnology, AI, robotics, and quantum technology with MIT and Harvard.
KIST researchers teach robot to trap a ball without coding
The Robot Report covers KIST's breakthrough in teaching a flexible robot to trap a ball using human muscle signals, eliminating the need for numerical calculation or programming.
New Robot Learns Ball Trapping by Mimicking Humans, No Coding Required
KIST researchers developed a flexible robot that learns to trap a falling ball by mimicking human muscle signals via surface electromyography, without pre-programmed instructions.
A Robot in the Kitchen
IEEE Spectrum reports on KIST's Mahru-Z biped humanoid robot that can pop a snack into a microwave and bring it to a person, controlled via a human wearing a sensor suit.
Humanoid Robot Mahru Mimics Your Movements in Real Time
IEEE Spectrum covers KIST and Samsung's Mahru humanoid robot, which can mimic human movements in real time using a motion-capture system and perform household tasks.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/kist-robotics.md
- RSS feed: /companies/kist-robotics/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/4d375666-e058-4f89-a438-6b2cd348149b
- Revision history: /companies/kist-robotics/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Dobot6 models
- AgiBot5 models
- AheadForm5 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
Video
Developed at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), the humanoid robot Mahru shows off its dance moves, reproducing a human dancer's performance
Stable whole-body motion capture and generation to allow the humanoid robot Mahru imitate human movements. This research is part of Korea Institute of Science a
KIST Hydraulic Robot Arm Version 3.0 using Micro Hydraulic Actuator
국내 연구진이 음악 빅데이터 기반 인공지능(AI)을 통해 인간과 상호작용하며 합주 할 수 있는 휴머노이드 로봇을 개발했다.
The Korea Institute of Science & Technology held an open house, allowing people to interact with fun developments. http://www.plasticpals.com
Another quick video report on KIST's demonstration. Mahru-Z and Mahru-M serve up breakfast while Mahru III performs the actions of its human counterpart. http:
KIST's Mahru robot dances using motion capture data from a human target. More info: http://www.plasticpals.com/?p=459
A new wheel-legged humanoid robot Mahru-WL developed by KIST Dr. Yonghwan Oh's and Dr. Yisoo Lee's teams worked on this robot.
Controllable & Wearable Robot for Assistance of Locomotion in Kist
1.5m/s Whole-body controller Lab Website : https://sites.google.com/view/humanoids-kist/
Heat Index
Serious52/100
A composite of competitive footprint, funding, press velocity, active partnerships, and supply-chain edges. Different from the Intelligence score below (which is per-form-factor productization). Non-robotics companies cap at 25.
Reality vs attention
KIST Robotics draws attention at the 35th percentile but verifies reality at the insufficient-data level among humanoids.
6-month trend
Analysis
Limited public funding data for capital position assessment.
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Oct 7, 2026