(BPT) - By Lyu Jae-cheol, President & CEO of LG Electronics

Physical AI is taking AI off the screen and into the real world, and I believe robotics will be one of the clearest ways AI becomes part of our daily lives.

Morgan Stanley projects that the robotics market could reach USD 5 trillion by 2050 — about twice the size of today's global automotive industry. As the market grows, focus is shifting to key components — especially actuators.

Often called the "muscle" of a robot, actuators account for about 40% to 50% of total robot cost. They make it possible for robots to reach, hold weight and assemble with precision. Over time, advances in actuator technology will help shape both the growth of the robotics industry and robot performance itself.

This is where LG Electronics can stand out.

For nearly 70 years, we have built trusted manufacturing and design capabilities, along with strong product durability. In robotics components, we see three clear strengths: scale, vertical integration and efficiency.

Since 1962, we have designed and produced motors in-house. Today, we have the infrastructure to manufacture 45 million motors a year across seven production sites in five countries. That scale helps us deliver durability, reliability and cost competitiveness that are difficult for competitors to match.

We also handle both motor and driver design and production in-house, while continuing to strengthen our internal capabilities in reducers. This gives us stronger technology security and allows us to respond to customer needs with greater flexibility and speed.

We are also bringing proven technologies from our appliance business into robotics. One example is regenerative braking, or energy harvesting, based on our inverter expertise. It can return about 10% of energy that would otherwise be lost during robot operation back to the battery, helping improve battery efficiency.

This is the foundation of our robotics component brand "AXIUM." AXIUM is an all-in-one modular platform (Φ40–Φ120) that accelerates development and enables efficient, reliable production of robotic joints.

Our roadmap is clear. By 2026, we plan to complete our mass-production system for actuators and apply them directly to LG CLOiD, our intelligent home robot, creating a real-world reference for these technologies. From 2027, we will expand into the broader market by supplying key components to global partners. By 2030, we aim to expand into the industrial high-torque segment and establish LG Electronics as a global provider of total actuator solutions.

The market is already moving quickly. TrendForce Corp. recently projected that robot shipments this year — including humanoids — could increase by more than 700% year over year.

Robots and the actuators that power them will become an integral part of our everyday lives. We see this not only as a business opportunity, but also as a response to the changing needs of our customers.