HD Hyundai Robotics is preparing to launch a second generation of heavy-payload collaborative robots on 1 July 2026, opening a fresh front in Korea's cobot race with market leader Doosan Robotics.
Three HDC Models From 25 To 50 kg
The new HDC line includes the HDC 25-18 with a 25 kg payload and a 1,880 mm reach, the HDC 35-18 which lifts the payload to 35 kg at the same reach, and the flagship HDC 50-17, which carries 50 kg over a 1,700 mm working radius. All three models hold a repeatability of about plus or minus 0.04 mm, the company said, putting them in precision-assembly and welding territory previously the domain of six-axis industrial arms.
The HDC family replaces HD Hyundai's first-generation YL series, launched in the first half of 2020. Heavy-payload cobots are a structural growth area — historically dominated by FANUC's CRX and Doosan's H-series — as automakers and electronics manufacturers retool lines for batteries and humanoid components.
Doosan And Global Rivals In Crosshairs
Doosan Robotics, which earlier this month tightened a physical-AI pact with NVIDIA, leads the Korean cobot market and is the natural target for HD Hyundai's heavy-payload push. HD Hyundai said the HDC launch is the start of a continual cobot lineup expansion, leveraging sales networks already in place in the United States, China and Germany.
The launch arrives as cobot demand re-accelerates. Trade body A3 says collaborative robots and AI vision are the top business-transformation lever for 86% of US employers, while Korean cobot makers are riding parallel demand from Hyundai Motor Group's humanoid automation plan.
Heavy Cobots Bleed Into Welding And Palletising
HD Hyundai didn't disclose pricing but said the HDC range targets palletising, welding and high-precision machining workloads previously underserved by sub-20-kg cobots. The 50 kg model in particular sets the company up against Doosan's recently released H-series and FANUC's CRX-25iA. Industry observers expect the launch to mark the start of full-fledged competition between the two Korean cobot leaders.
Reporting based on coverage from Seoul Economic Daily.