Two humanoid robots danced, waving their arms in time with the orchestra's melody. They clapped to the beat and waved at attendees. After finishing the performance, the robots stood side by side with SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) representatives for commemorative photos, perfectly mimicking human behavior.
At the "2026 SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) Leaders Forum" held on the 21st at Jeju Lotte Hotel, the humanoid robot unveiled by robot software specialist Cloverbot was the hidden star of the event. Cloverbot prepared a humanoid robot performance and experience program to introduce the development status of physical artificial intelligence (AI) technology to SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) stakeholders.
Son Jun-bae, CEO of Cloverbot, said at a press conference that day, "SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) representatives who had only seen robots in videos experienced them firsthand, took photos, and asked many questions about where they could be applied." He added, "We participated to show how far robot technology has come and what areas still need improvement."
However, achieving complete autonomous decision-making remains difficult. Son (President) explained, "In spaces where many people pass through, unexpected variables can occur, so operators controlled the robots directly." He noted that technology enabling robots to perform movements through AI learning is continuously evolving. This implies that technical challenges remain before physical AI, where robots judge and move on their own, can be applied in actual industrial settings.
Cloverbot develops software for integrated control of robots from various manufacturers. Based on its autonomous driving solution "Chameleon" and integrated management platform "Chrome," the company is expanding its business in manufacturing, logistics, and facility management. Its core competitiveness lies in technology that simultaneously operates multiple robots regardless of manufacturer and optimizes work paths.
Son (President) particularly emphasized the need for robot adoption by small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. He stated, "In regional SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) facilities, people are needed to move heavy objects like car chassis." However, he pointed out that existing factories are often designed with humans in mind, leaving insufficient space even for robots to move. He added, "Going forward, it will also be important to secure ample space for robot movement when designing factories."
Adoption costs are also a key factor. Robots for simple tasks such as transporting goods can be introduced starting from several million won, while high-performance quadruped robots equipped with various sensors and inspection equipment cost up to 500 million won. Son (President) explained, "There were cases where companies initially adopted one or two units, confirmed their utility by comparing them with actual labor use, and then purchased four additional units." He added that demand is increasing as the value of robot utilization is being proven.
Cloverbot strengthened its logistics automation business by acquiring Doosan Logistics Solutions (DLS) last August. The company plans to replace manual sorting and packaging tasks in logistics centers with humanoid robots and expand related technologies to manufacturing sites. It is also pursuing the development of "Multi-Agent Orchestration (MAO)" technology, which connects robots, equipment, and work systems into one.
The company also revealed plans for performance improvement. Son (President) said, "Costs were incurred for existing software research and development and the acquisition of DLS." He stated, "Our goal is to reach the break-even point (BEP) next year." Cloverbot recorded sales of 41.4 billion won last year and is expected to surpass 50 billion won this year.
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