Hyundai Engineering & Construction is seeking “real-world solutions” at the forefront of China’s robotics industry that can be applied to construction sites. CEO Lee Han-woo and other C-suite executives are visiting Beijing for a three-day, two-night trip from the 20th to the 22nd to attend the World Robot Conference (WRC) and assess China’s robotics ecosystem.
The visit was organized at the Hyundai Motor Group level. Hyundai Motor is accelerating the integration of humanoid robots into industrial settings through its robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics, which is developing the Atlas humanoid robot. Last year, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chang Jae-hoon and other key executives visited the WRC; this year, the scope has expanded to include Hyundai E&C, which oversees the group’s construction business.
China is widely regarded as rapidly deploying robots in actual industrial settings, leveraging not only robotics technology development but also price competitiveness, component supply chains, and large-scale manufacturing capabilities. As various robots in logistics, manufacturing, and service sectors—including humanoid robots—enter the commercialization phase, analysts note that the competitive center of gravity is shifting from “technology for building robots” to “technology for actually using robots.”
This is precisely where Hyundai E&C’s focus lies. Unlike automobile factories, construction sites have inconsistent working environments, and site layouts continuously change depending on the construction phase. Autonomous technology that enables robots to move, work, and coordinate with other equipment in unstructured environments is more critical than the robots’ raw performance. The key areas of interest are which robots are actually being deployed at Chinese sites and how they are improving operational efficiency.
Hyundai E&C has already begun deploying construction robots in earnest. At the “The H Clast” site in Seoul’s Seocho District, the company introduced the “X-ble Shoulder”—developed in collaboration with Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Robotics Lab—for interior carpentry work, marking the first construction site deployment of the wearable device that assists workers’ upper-body muscle strength. The device is designed to reduce the strain of working with arms raised overhead for extended periods. Water-spraying drones, autonomous robots, and logistics transport robots are among the various smart construction technologies also being applied at sites.
Robot adoption is also expanding in residential projects. Hyundai E&C put “Robotics Life” front and center during the contractor selection process for the Apgujeong Districts 2, 3, and 5 reconstruction project. The concept envisions mobile robots delivering packages and food directly to residents, parking robots handling vehicle parking and EV charging, and security robots patrolling the complex to respond to fires and other anomalies. The company is also developing an AI-integrated parking robot system where robots automatically park vehicles when residents arrive at the parking garage.
A Hyundai E&C official said, “At construction sites, if robots transport materials in advance before work begins, workers can focus solely on their assigned tasks, further shortening construction timelines. Reducing construction periods will enhance cost competitiveness accordingly.”
There are expectations that this trip to China could go beyond a simple technology tour and serve as a catalyst for developing new construction-site robot models by combining Hyundai Motor Group’s robotics hardware and AI technology with China’s robot manufacturing and application expertise. Whether this leads to technology partnerships, equipment procurement, or joint demonstration projects with Chinese robotics firms remains a key point of interest.
Within the construction industry, robots are increasingly viewed as a critical solution to labor shortages, an aging workforce, and safety incidents. The goal is to boost construction productivity by having robots handle repetitive or hazardous tasks while humans focus on high-value work such as judgment and management.
A construction industry insider said, “Construction sites are a prime example of an industry where robotic automation is more difficult than in manufacturing. The key question is not the robotics technology itself, but how reliably robots can operate in actual field conditions and whether they can deliver productivity relative to cost. It will be worth watching what changes Hyundai E&C’s China site visits bring to its future robotics strategy.”
The WRC, which opened at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (E-Town), is now in its 11th year. Running through the 23rd, the event features more than 300 participating companies—a 36% increase from the previous year—and over 2,000 robots on display. From the 22nd to the 26th, a humanoid robot athletics competition will be held at the Beijing National Speed Skating Oval, providing a venue to evaluate the diverse technical capabilities of robots.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Wia, a Hyundai Motor Group affiliate, held a “Parking Solution Customer Invitation Event” on the 19th and 20th at the Hyundai Motor Group Uiwang Research Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, marking the full-scale push to deploy parking robots in multi-unit housing. Approximately 800 construction company and contractor representatives interested in adopting parking robots attended the event.
Following the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s revision of the Parking Lot Act enforcement rules and housing construction standards in July, parking robots have been officially recognized as mechanical parking devices. Parking robots can now be installed in multi-unit housing, and dedicated parking garages and parking space designs tailored to robot operation methods have become possible.
Hyundai Wia’s parking robot operates as a two-unit set that enters beneath a vehicle, lifts the wheels, and transports it to an empty parking space or entry/exit zone. LiDAR sensors detect wheel position and size, and the system can handle SUVs weighing up to 3.4 tons. The robot is designed with a 110mm profile to accommodate low-clearance vehicles. According to the company, drivers no longer need to open and close doors in parking spaces, and double- and triple-parking becomes possible, increasing vehicle capacity by at least 20% and up to 50% compared to conventional self-parking garages.
Hyundai Wia has formed a consortium with Hyundai Motor and Hyundai E&C to conduct South Korea’s first multi-unit housing parking robot demonstration project at “Hillstate The Wave City” in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. The project will verify operational stability, parking efficiency, and resident convenience in an actual apartment environment.