At CES 2025, the world’s largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas on January 7 (local time), the booth of Chinese humanoid manufacturer Unitree buzzed with crowds eager to watch a demonstration of the G1. Standing at 130 cm tall, the humanoid G1 amazed attendees by navigating obstacles, shaking hands with visitors, dancing, and even squatting like a human. Amid growing recognition of robotics as the "endgame of artificial intelligence (AI)," the field emerged as the star of CES 2025.

China especially captured attention with not just its complete humanoid robots but also cutting-edge components like vision sensors, radars, and parts mimicking human joints and muscles. Declaring 2025 as the inaugural year of humanoid mass production, China showcased unparalleled technological prowess, solidifying its status as a leading player in the robotics industry.

China’s robotics ecosystem was out in full force at CES. Weisson Robotics unveiled components replicating robotic joints and muscles, while Banzi Radar showcased a range of vision sensors acting as robotic eyes. RoboSense exhibited robotic hands capable of integrated motion within closed-loop systems. Each product demonstrated global top-tier competitiveness.

As China accelerates its development of a comprehensive robotics ecosystem, experts stress the need for South Korean companies to form alliances and actively respond. Concerns are rising that China might outpace others not only in next-generation robot manufacturing but also across the value chain.

Given South Korea’s competitive edge in the robotics value chain, experts argue that companies must combine their strengths and act without delay. While South Korean firms have yet to achieve significant breakthroughs in humanoid robots, they exhibit individual strengths in components and the value chain. At CES 2025, South Korean companies received global recognition, winning 7 out of the 16 innovation awards in robotics, outperforming China, which had 4 winners.

South Korea’s ability to leverage its strengths in the value chain could be key to competing with China’s rising dominance in robotics.