Humanoid robots have started gaining popularity in the tech industry, with many robotics companies working on or introducing new humanoid robots. Global robotics leader WIRobotics has recently unveiled the upper body of its first general-purpose humanoid robot, ALLEX.
“ALLEX goes beyond merely replicating human movement —it is the first robot that truly experiences and responds to the real world,” said Yong-Jae Kim, Co-CEO and CTO of WIRobotics. “From day one, we’ve developed technology for people. Building on the wearable robotics we introduced two years ago, our goal is to deliver by 2030 a general-purpose humanoid platform that anyone can use in everyday life. We will open a new era of general-purpose robotics where precision and flexibility coexist,”
Before coming to the technical details revealed by the company, let’s know about the ALLEX robot.
WIRobotics humanoid robot- ALLEX
ALLEX stands for ALL Experience. Apart from visual recognition and position control, this robot is said to respond to physical stimuli such as force, contact, and impact in the real world. With these interaction capabilities, it is claimed that ALLEX sets a new standard for humanoid robots, surpassing the limitations of current robotics.
ALLEX’s upper body revealed
- High-DOF compliant robotic hand- A human-hand-sized end-effector with 15 DOF enables precise motions and diverse tasks. It detects and responds to forces as small as 100gf even without tactile sensors; fingertip repeatability is 0.3mm or less. It delivers 40 N fingertip force and over 30kg hook grip.
- New actuation and control technologies- A newly developed ultra-low-friction, high-load actuator achieves human-level adaptability and force-control performance. A motor control algorithm integrates precise position control with force and stiffness control applied to the actuator. It comes with a gravity-compensated waist.
- Lightweight structure with high payload capacity- The hand is approximately 700g, and the assembly from the shoulder down is about 5kg, enabling agile, safe, and human-like motion. Across the full workspace, more than 3kg can be handled with one hand.
- Whole-body force control and interaction- ALLEX enables safe yet dynamic interactions with people. By minimizing the sim-to-real gap, it is optimized for machine-learning-based training and also ensures autonomy and scalability.
Further, it is revealed that the company will expand ALLEX into a modular platform, supplying arms, hands, body, and leader systems individually or in combination, and build a foundation for commercialization through field demonstration in various industries. WIRobotics has formed a strategic partnership with RLWRLD to develop ALLEX’s intelligence.
