Nvidia CEO's daughter to visit LG factory for robotics talks

LG Group, one of South Korea's largest conglomerates, announced plans to debut its first bipedal humanoid robot by the first quarter of 2027, following a strategic partnership with Nvidia, the leading American semiconductor and AI company. The deal was finalized during a meeting between LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at Nvidia's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, on Thursday. This marks a significant step forward in LG's expansion into advanced robotics and AI-driven manufacturing. The collaboration includes joint efforts in humanoid robots, AI factories, and autonomous driving technologies. The partnership was formalized after Koo and Huang met in Seoul in June to explore deeper cooperation in physical AI. During the recent meeting in California, Koo emphasized the growing clarity of collaborative opportunities in AI factories, physical AI, and mobility. He stated that LG and Nvidia would accelerate the adoption of AI through the creation of industry-leading reference models. Huang echoed these sentiments, noting that the collaboration would usher in a new era of robotics, AI factories, and autonomous vehicles. According to both executives, the integration of LG's product engineering and manufacturing expertise with Nvidia's cutting-edge technology will drive innovation in multiple sectors. The first tangible result of the partnership is the development of a bipedal humanoid robot based on Nvidia's Isaac GR00T foundation model. LG aims to unveil this robot in Q1 2027. The robot will be equipped with Nvidia's Jetson Thor computing platform and Halos for Robotics safety architecture. Key hardware components will come from LG affiliates, with LG Electronics supplying actuators, LG Innotek providing sensors, and LG Energy Solution contributing batteries. Actuators serve as the joints and muscles of a robot, enabling precise movement of limbs. A pilot production line for these components has already been established at LG Electronics' plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and initial production has commenced. To offer an early glimpse of the robot, Koo presented Huang with a miniature version of the upcoming bipedal humanoid. Both executives posed with the model, which features their signatures. This gesture underscores the significance of the project and the personal involvement of top executives from both companies. LG is also testing robots in real-world manufacturing environments. By the end of this year, the company plans to deploy its wheeled CLOiD robot on a washing machine production line at LG Electronics' plant in Tennessee. Additionally, LG and Nvidia will collaborate on a physical AI data factory utilizing LG CNS' PhysicalWorks platform. Data collected from robots will be used to train and validate AI models, further advancing LG's own robot foundation model. Beyond robotics, LG intends to construct an AI factory that combines Nvidia's DSX structure with technologies from various LG subsidiaries. These include LG Electronics' cooling systems, LG Energy Solution batteries, and data center design and operation capabilities from LG CNS and LG Uplus. A reference site based on Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin platform is scheduled for the first half of 2027, followed by an 80-megawatt AI factory in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, by mid-2028. The Cheonan facility will employ prefabricated modular construction to reduce construction time by over 20 percent and will be used to train physical AI systems, including robot foundation models. Meanwhile, Madison Huang, the eldest daughter of Jensen Huang and a senior director of product marketing for Nvidia's Omniverse and robotics, is set to visit LG Electronics' humanoid robot data factory in Seoul on Tuesday. She will meet with senior LG Electronics officials at the company’s research and development campus in Yangjae, southern Seoul, to discuss potential collaborations in humanoid robotics and related technologies. The data factory being built at the campus is designed to simulate home and factory environments, allowing robots to gather movement data in conditions similar to those they would face in reality. This meeting follows the recent collaboration between Jensen Huang and Koo, highlighting the rapid pace at which LG and Nvidia are deepening their relationship in the field of physical artificial intelligence and robotics. As part of their partnership, LG Electronics continues to develop a bipedal humanoid robot based on Nvidia's robotics platform, targeting a 2027 unveiling. The robot will leverage Nvidia's Jetson Thor robotics computing module, Isaac GR00T, and Halos for Robotics safety system. Madison Huang has been actively involved in expanding Nvidia's physical AI ecosystem since joining the company in 2020. Her visit follows previous discussions with LG this year, including a meeting with LG Electronics CEO Lyu Jae-cheol in April and accompanying her father during his visit to Korea in June.