Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation will sequentially deploy 400,000 self-developed humanoid robots across its global production facilities, creating a manufacturing environment where robots work alongside human workers in the same space.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Toyota plans to deploy the robots in alignment with renovation and reconstruction schedules for its production facilities worldwide, which will involve an annual investment of 1 trillion yen (approx. 8.9 trillion KRW) starting after 2028.

Toyota headquarters will introduce 150,000 units, while group affiliates will adopt 250,000 units.

The robots to be deployed are "Ellie," developed directly by Toyota, weighing 50 kg and equipped with two fingers.

Instead of bipedal walking, they move on wheels and run on batteries or power cords.

They can acquire delicate tasks such as picking up and moving parts from boxes or folding fabric, and can autonomously learn optimal working methods.

They are currently learning the movements of on-site workers on some production lines.

The process involves workers wearing finger-shaped tools for Ellie while repeating routine tasks, allowing the robot to learn from them.

At a recent technology briefing in Europe, they demonstrated folding clothes after 1,500 learning sessions over two weeks.

Toyota plans to accelerate the commercialization of the robots by combining its 60 production facilities worldwide where robots can be tested directly, the know-how of 18,000 skilled workers known as "Takumi" (artisans), and its waste-free production system called the Toyota Production System (TPS).

Going forward, the company plans to transmit and share centrally learned data with robots at production facilities in each country, and create an environment where robots even take charge of training new employees.

Toyota Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima said, "Robots are not meant to replace humans, but rather we aim for a world where they coexist with humans."

(Photo: Captured from Toyota website, Yonhap News)