T-ROBOTICS Moves to Develop “Hot-Swap” Technology for Uninterrupted Humanoid Operation

[Financial News] T-ROBOTICS, a company specializing in humanoid and industrial robots, is pursuing the development of a “Hot-Swap” system that replaces batteries without turning off a robot. It plans to secure the power technology needed for extended continuous operation and accelerate the commercialization of humanoid robots.
T-ROBOTICS said on the 6th that it will participate as a joint R&D institution in a government-funded project worth a total of KRW 7.704 billion, led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, with the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KEIT) serving as the specialized agency. The project aims to develop battery and power management technologies for extended continuous operation of humanoid robots, with R&D running through March 2030.
The core technology being developed is hot swapping, which allows batteries to be replaced while maintaining the power supply. The company plans to build a high-efficiency system that enables a humanoid robot to replace its own battery within five minutes, reducing work interruptions caused by charging and improving operational efficiency.
A company specializing in automotive batteries will also take part in the project. The aim is to apply the battery safety, reliability and cost competitiveness built up in the automotive industry to robotics, and combine them with a Physical AI-based intelligent battery management system (BMS) to secure the technologies needed for extended operation.
T-ROBOTICS plans to improve the potential for humanoid robots to be used in industrial settings by adding power management technology to its existing robot actuation and control technologies. It will apply the development results to actual robots for field testing, and expand their use to existing product lines, including autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs), creating more commercialization opportunities.
T-ROBOTICS was previously selected to lead the government R&D project “Humanoid Robot AX Technology Development.” It is currently pursuing technology development and field testing with a major domestic display company, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) and others to apply humanoid robots to manufacturing processes. By adding technology for battery replacement without stopping operation, the company is strengthening the capabilities needed for commercialization.
A T-ROBOTICS representative said, “In the humanoid market, the potential for use and commercial viability in actual industrial settings are emerging as important competitive factors, beyond technology development,” adding, “We will apply to actual manufacturing sites the technological capabilities and supply experience we have built up in our existing industrial robotics and logistics automation businesses, along with technologies secured through government-funded projects, and turn them into future humanoid supply and new revenue.”

[email protected] Choi Doo-seon Reporter