Posco DX, NC AI join forces to develop physical AI brain for industrial robots

Posco DX and NC AI have agreed to jointly develop physical AI-based intelligence technology for robots used in industrial settings.

Posco DX announced Sunday that it signed an MOU with NC AI to build an AI-based autonomous robot operation system. The signing ceremony was held May 29 at NC AI's headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, with Yoon Seok-jun, head of Posco DX's Robot Automation Center, and Kim Min-jae, CTO of NC AI, attending alongside officials from both companies.

The two companies plan to develop a robot foundation model that combines Posco DX's robot simulation and control technology with NC AI's AI models.

Under the arrangement, Posco DX will handle motion planning and control simulation verification for robots deployed at industrial sites, and will provide a digital twin-based virtual testing environment to ensure stable robot operation. NC AI will take charge of developing the AI model for the robot foundation model — collecting and analyzing data from industrial sites to help robots understand work conditions, and building a vision-language-action (VLA) model on that basis. NC AI will also collaborate with Posco DX on constructing and stabilizing a digital twin-based VLA simulation environment.

The two companies expect the partnership to enable industrial robots to process visual information and verbal instructions simultaneously, allowing them to interpret work situations on their own. The goal is to develop intelligence technology that helps robots adapt to constantly shifting conditions on factory floors — such as variations in workpiece positioning and interface differences between equipment — so they can handle unstructured tasks. The companies also plan to build a collaborative framework with other industrial robots on site to improve safety and efficiency in manufacturing environments.

Meanwhile, Posco DX said its Robot Automation Center continues to advance robot automation technology for industrial settings. Key efforts include ongoing simulation-based verification, the development of standardized models, and the building of a heterogeneous robot operating platform.

"Through continuous collaboration with companies that hold specialized expertise, we are internalizing core solutions such as robot control and operating platforms while raising the level of automation technology at high-risk, high-intensity sites," Yoon said. "We expect this collaboration to confirm the potential of general-purpose robots in industrial applications."

Kim, CTO of NC AI, said general-purpose robot technology is rapidly advancing as a next-generation AI technology applicable across diverse industrial environments. "Through our collaboration with Posco DX, we will strengthen our competitiveness in robot AI technology and lead the general-purpose physical AI ecosystem targeting the global market," he said.