LG CNS is teaming up with the popular e-commerce company Kurly to put humanoid robots to work. The two companies want to test how well these walking, lifting machines can handle the fast-paced environment of modern fulfillment centers. They aim to make logistics operations much faster and far more efficient.
The companies made the partnership official on Monday. They signed an agreement to run a proof of concept using the robots inside Kurly’s busy warehouses. This means they will put the robots on the floor next to human workers to see if the technology actually holds up outside of a testing laboratory.
Kurly made a name for itself by delivering fresh groceries to customers’ doors before the sun comes up. Customers rely on this early-morning service to get fresh ingredients for breakfast. Since launching that core service, the company has grown massively. It now sells cosmetics, clothing, and bulky home goods.
Handling all these different products requires a highly organized logistics network. The broader logistics automation market now represents a $1 billion industry, pushing companies like Kurly to constantly invest in new technology to stay ahead of the competition.
Kurly already collects huge amounts of data from its daily delivery operations. The company wants to feed this information into artificial intelligence systems to find faster ways to pack and ship boxes. Under the new deal, LG CNS will use this real-world data to train its robots.
A major goal of this project is to ease the heavy physical burden on human warehouse workers. Moving boxes and stacking shelves all day causes strain and injuries. By handing the heaviest and most repetitive tasks over to humanoid robots, Kurly hopes to make the warehouse a much safer place to work.
LG CNS brings a special software platform to the project called PhysicalWorks. This platform acts as the brain for the robots, helping them learn how to move, grab, and sort items efficiently. Kurly will test PhysicalWorks during live, everyday operations while regular orders come in.
Managers will closely track how accurately the robots pick the right items off the shelves. They will also measure how fast the machines complete their daily tasks. Even a small 1.5% increase in picking accuracy or speed can save a massive e-commerce business millions of dollars over the course of a busy year.
Beyond the walking robots, LG CNS plans to upgrade Kurly’s entire automation system. The tech company will connect Kurly’s physical equipment with its own advanced operating software. They want to smooth out the entire lifecycle of a product. This covers everything from the moment a delivery truck drops off new inventory to the second a customer’s package leaves the loading dock.
These two companies already have a history of working together. LG CNS previously helped set up Kurly’s logistics centers in Gimpo and Changwon. In those locations, LG CNS built systems that manage room-temperature goods, refrigerated food, and frozen items all through one single interface.
Park Sang-kyun leads the telecommunications, distribution, and service division at LG CNS. He noted that mixing Kurly’s deep knowledge of package delivery with LG CNS’s technology will create real, practical changes on the warehouse floor. The team wants to solve actual problems, not just run science experiments.
Huh Tae-young, the Chief Operating Officer at Kurly, shared a similar view. He pointed out that Kurly constantly uses data and artificial intelligence to boost its daily efficiency. He hopes that adding LG CNS’s physical AI technologies into the mix will drive massive improvements across all their delivery operations.
If this test run works out, both companies plan to look for even more business opportunities together. Successful humanoid robots could change the entire shipping industry. As online shopping continues to grow, finding smart ways to pack and ship boxes will keep customers happy and keep businesses running smoothly.
