Korean AI Humanoid Makes Debut: “Performs Mask Dance and Even Calisthenics—Short but Precise Movements”

[Financial News] #. Four humanoid robots are standing on stage. They have physiques similar to those of adult men. When the first robot is called, a familiar tune from childhood begins to play—the song for the national fitness routine. The robot reproduces the routine, moving its arms in time with the music. The second robot begins to dance, moving its hands and feet somewhat awkwardly. Then comes the mask dance. The third robot appears wearing a mask. Waving colorful hansam sleeves up and down, it performs a short but precise mask dance.
This was the scene at the 2026 Global Machinery Technology Forum, held by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) under the theme “Envisioning Tomorrow’s Industrial Ecosystem with Robots and Physical AI” at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Seoul’s Gangnam District on the afternoon of the 7th. Three types of KAIROS robots developed by KIMM drew attention by delivering different performances.
KAIROS is a Korean AI humanoid robot that KIMM selected to mark its 50th anniversary and is developing as the institute’s flagship brand. The demonstration was brief, but once the movements began, the robot accurately performed the requested routines.
Park Dong-il, director of the Advanced Robotics Center at KIMM’s AI Robotics Research Institute, who led the demonstration, explained, “By accumulating expertise in components, hardware, software and AI technologies, KIMM was able to build a visible humanoid like KAIROS in just one year.” He added, “In Greek, KAIROS means ‘a fleeting moment’ and ‘a decisive moment,’ conveying the meaning that humanoids are at a decisive moment. We used different combinations of components for each robot so that each would have distinct characteristics.”
In his keynote speech, Byoung-Tak Zhang, a professor at Seoul National University, spoke on “Humanoid AI: From Generative AI to Embodied Intelligence” and emphasized the importance of data. Zhang said, “Humanoid robots are important because they can work like people without requiring the environment to be modified for them. They learn by watching human movements and imitating them.” He continued, “Data is essential for this, and we need to invest in creating more data factories. In the future, Korea’s manufacturing sites themselves will become training grounds for Physical AI.”
Ryu Seog-hyun, president of KIMM, said, “Physical AI is more than a technological fad; it is a strategic national field with implications for future survival and competitiveness.” He added, “Through this forum, we will usher in a new era of intelligent machinery civilization.”
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