Korean AI humanoid robot KAIROS wows crowd with traditional mask dance

- Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials holds 2026 Global Machinery Technology Forum

- KAIROS V0.7 unveiled with dynamic full-body movements for the first time

KAIROS, a Korean AI humanoid robot, performs a traditional mask dance at the 2026 Global Machinery Technology Forum on Monday. [Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials]

A Korean AI humanoid robot capable of performing traditional mask dancing made its debut Monday. The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials held the 2026 Global Machinery Technology Forum at the Korea Science and Technology Hall in Seoul, under the theme "Robots, Drawing Tomorrow's Industrial Ecosystem with Physical AI."

The star of the event was KAIROS, a next-generation AI humanoid robot the institute has been developing.

KAIROS was first unveiled in April at a ceremony marking the institute's 50th anniversary. At the time, version 0.5 (V0.5) walked onto the stage and demonstrated basic movements such as handshakes and waving.

Upgraded to V0.7 in five months, KAIROS displayed far more dynamic full-body movements. It performed motions inspired by Korea's traditional mask dance, showcasing advanced walking and posture-control capabilities.

Developed as part of the national strategic technology project K-Moonshot, KAIROS uses visual and tactile sensors along with AI to perceive its surroundings and carry out movement, manipulation and interaction autonomously.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials unveils an upgraded version of its Korean AI humanoid robot KAIROS at the 2026 Global Machinery Technology Forum on Monday. [Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials]

The institute plans to continuously advance core technologies in walking, posture control and full-body movement, expanding KAIROS's potential applications from manufacturing automation and disaster response to safety and defense, as well as household and caregiving support.

The forum was organized to examine the changes that physical AI — where AI perceives, judges and acts in the real world through the "body" of robots and machines — will bring to the industrial ecosystem.

Chang Byoung-tak, a professor at Seoul National University, delivered a keynote address titled "Humanoid AI: Beyond Generative AI to Embodied Intelligence," outlining the AI technologies and development directions needed to build humanoid robots capable of understanding diverse environments and tasks and making independent decisions.

Kim Min-pyo, chief executive of Doosan Robotics, presented on "Doosan Robotics' Physical AI: Present and Future," introducing robotic technologies in industrial settings and the outlook for physical AI development.

Ryu Seok-hyeon, president of the institute, gave a presentation titled "From Machines to Intelligence: KIMM Opens the Physical AI Era," laying out a vision of machines evolving into "intelligent machines" that can perceive, judge, act and learn on their own. He also unveiled a research vision to extend physical AI technology beyond robotics into manufacturing, energy, the environment and digital engineering.

The KAIROS research team poses for a photo after the demonstration. [Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials]

Beyond KAIROS, the institute showcased a range of advanced robotic technologies at the forum. On display were an air-land autonomous cooperative delivery robot in which a drone and a ground robot work together to transport goods, a robot that autonomously navigates orchards to detect pests and diseases, a last-mile delivery robot that moves inside and outside buildings by linking with shared entrances and elevators, and smart robotic prosthetic arms and legs that reflect the user's movements and intentions.

The institute's five flagship brands selected to mark its 50th anniversary — KAIROS, MANUX, KHEATUP, Air Five and KIMM Cyber Labs — were also on display.

"Physical AI is a core technology that combines AI with robotics and mechanical engineering to solve problems in people's daily lives — not only on the factory floor but also in agriculture, logistics, healthcare and caregiving," Ryu said. "We will advance physical AI technologies, including humanoid robots and key robotic components, and actively push for their adoption and proliferation in industrial settings."

nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com