Robros gets Korea's first sandbox pass to put humanoids next to factory workers

In short: Korea's Industrial Convergence Regulatory Sandbox Committee granted a demonstration exemption to Robros on October 13, 2026, letting 20 of its bipedal humanoids work in spaces shared with people.

The four test sites

Site	Industry	Task
Nepes	Semiconductors	Remove contaminants from circular back-end packaging parts
Sungwoo Hitech	Automotive	Place body parts in set positions
HD Hyundai Samho	Shipbuilding	Stack scaffolding pieces
Delivery Lab	Logistics	Move refrigerated packaging

Why it matters

Korean rules treated industrial robots as fixed equipment that needs safety fences. A humanoid that walks between stations can't be fenced in. The exemption allows deployment if risk assessments and safety measures are in place, and the government says the data will be used to write future safety standards. That makes this pilot a template, not just a demo.

It also shows a policy shift: instead of waiting for companies to apply, the government says it will seek out regulatory bottlenecks itself. Minister Kim Jung-kwan said regulation "struggles to keep up" with AI.

Context

Korea installed 30,200 new industrial robots last year according to the IFR, versus 354,200 in China, 38,400 in the U.S. and 36,200 in Japan, as cited by Seoul Economic Daily. Korea is betting that its dense manufacturing base can serve as a training ground where humanoids learn from skilled workers.