WIRobotics launches ALLEX

World-renowned robotics company WIRobotics recently unveiled the upper half of its first versatile humanoid robot, ALLEX, at the Center for Robot Innovation on the Korea University of Technology campus. The name means "ALL-Possibilities". In addition to visual perception, the robot responds to physical stimuli such as force, contact and impacts in the real environment. The new robot is designed to overcome the limitations of existing humanoids and is aimed at service, industrial and domestic applications.

ALLEX is built on WIRobotics' own mechanisms and control systems. The platform combines visual perception with the ability to perceive the physical world, responding to force, touch and impacts in real-world environments. Engineers see the design as a new standard for humanoids, aiming to provide interactions that feel more human than simple positional controls.

The robot's arm has 15 degrees of freedom, which allows it to carry out precise movements and solve a variety of problems. ALLEX is capable of sensing forces as small as 100 grams without tactile sensors and grasping objects with a force of 40 Newtons with its fingertips or holding a load of up to 30 kilograms with a hook. The arms feature a new ultra-low friction drive and controller that integrates position, force and stiffness control. The gravity-compensating waist further promotes smooth and secure interactions.

The upper part of ALLEX weighs approximately 5 kg from the shoulder down and about 700 g separately for the arm, while the robot is capable of lifting a load weighing more than 3 kg with one hand. The entire structure is designed to respond to external forces without traditional force sensors; it uses the built-in elasticity of the arms, fingers and waist for dynamic response. This enables secure human-machine interaction and is suitable for machine learning.

WIRobotics plans to develop ALLEX into a modular platform where customers can combine arm, hand and body modules. The company develops an open innovation ecosystem and collaborates with partners like physical artificial intelligence startup RLWRLD, as well as research institutes MIT, UIUC, UMass, KIST and Maxon. By 2030, WIRobotics expects to offer a universal humanoid robot suitable for everyday use by everyone.