Japan, which has dominated the robotics technology field for the past several decades, is gradually losing its lead in next-generation industrial and humanoid robots that combine artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. In this situation, it was analyzed that Korea should learn from Japan's failure despite its excellent technological prowess and actively enter the next-generation robot market with strategic planning and execution capabilities based on actual demand.

According to a report titled, “How prepared is Japan for the turbulent times in humanoid robot technology?” recently published by KOTRA Tokyo Trade Center, Japan, which once surprised the world with Honda’s “ASIMO” and Sony’s “QRIO,” is now ceding its leadership to latecomers from the United States, China, and Europe due to its failure to industrialize and lack of strategy.

Humanoid robots are robots that mimic human form, movement, and cognitive abilities, and are expected to be utilized in a variety of fields, including manufacturing and logistics, as well as nursing, medical care, services, and even space exploration.

As deep learning-based reinforcement learning technology and precise sensor and actuator technology advance, these robots are rapidly evolving beyond simple demonstrations toward practical use.

On the other hand, Japan, a leading industrial robot powerhouse, is unable to catch on to this trend.

Japan has been leading the research and development of robot technology for a long time and holds an important position in the global robot industry.

In particular, the first humanoid robot with human appearance and intelligence, 'WABOT-1', was developed by Waseda University in 1973.

The robot was able to conduct simple conversations, walk on two legs, and is estimated to have demonstrated abilities equivalent to a human being of approximately 1 year and 6 months.

In the 1990s, humanoid robot development was actively carried out based on the accumulation of industrial robot technology, and in the early 2000s, Honda developed 'ASIMO' and Sony developed 'QRIO', leading the development of Japanese companies.They have led the world in research and development.

Although they have such technological prowess, they are lagging behind in the commercialization and business stages due to the successive withdrawal of business by large corporations, concentration of investment in industrial robots focused on profitability, and sluggish startup ecosystem.

In the global market, American and Chinese companies such as Figure AI, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and XPENG Robotics are dominating the market through large-scale funding, and there are also assessments that Japan is facing structural limitations.


In the midst of such changes, opportunities are open to Korea.

The humanoid field, where the market has not yet fully formed, is an area where competitiveness depends not only on technological prowess but also on adaptability, collaboration skills, and quality-centered strategies.

Especially if you are considering entering the Japanese market, a mid- to long-term entry focused on ‘trust and precision’ may be more effective than a ‘low-price strategy.’

Japan is conservative, but it is strict in evaluating technological capabilities, and its structure is such that long-term partnerships are formed once a certain level of trust is established. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a localization strategy centered on hardware stability, failure rate, and flexible collaboration models.

Korea already has strengths in core robot components such as semiconductors, batteries, and sensors.

Here, with the recent active investment in AI technology and the policy of fostering the robot industry, the technological gap with Japan is rapidly narrowing.

The government should continue to ease regulations and support R&D to strengthen the startup ecosystem, and companies should differentiate themselves by discovering utilization models based on real demand for humanoid robots, such as medical care, disaster relief, and remote tourism.

A KOTRA official said, “Korea should learn from Japan’s past failure to industrialize despite its technological prowess and enter the next-generation robot market with strategic planning and execution capabilities,” adding, “The evolution of humanoid robots is no longer a battle of will and strategy, but of technology.”