A Cafe Operated by Humanoids to Debut Next Year

"Tesla and Figure AI are developing humanoid technology to replace factory workers or use in logistics centers, but we believe the best use for humanoids is in the service industry."

Noh Seungjun, CEO of Robros, said this in a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper, explaining the direction of the humanoid robot technology the company is developing.

Interest in humanoids is growing worldwide, with BMW Group testing Figure AI humanoids on production lines. Robros, a young domestic startup, has entered the humanoid market. Founded in 2020, Robros raised a 1.6 billion won seed round last July from Stick Ventures and others. Noh said factories can be automated, but as robots enter daily life, services will become more important. Robros is focused on service automation, where robots make drinks, talk with customers, and clean stores. As part of that effort, Robros has operated the unmanned robot cafe Better Than Yours in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, since 2022 as a testbed for its robot technology.

Noh said profit margins are much higher than in staffed stores, and while robots currently only make coffee, they plan to have robots clean when stores get dirty and restock supplies.

Robros aims to unveil a cafe operated solely by humanoid robots by the end of 2025.