Hyundai Mobis showcased around 40 smart manufacturing technologies at its M-Sphere 2026 exhibition, demonstrating how artificial intelligence, robotics and digital twins are being used in the production of automotive parts.
The two-day event opened Wednesday at the Quantum Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, drawing about 1,000 industry officials, including representatives from partner companies.
Under the theme “Beyond Challenge, Into Reality,” Korea’s largest auto parts supplier organized the technologies into three categories: intelligent automation, AI digital twins and enabling technologies. The exhibits included systems developed with partners and solutions already deployed at factories.
Among the intelligent automation technologies was an autonomous transport robot equipped with a three-dimensional vision system.
Now being tested at Hyundai Mobis’ chassis module plant in Ulsan, the robot independently locates and loads components. Its cameras identify routes, allowing it to carry parts weighing up to 20 kilograms to assembly lines.
The company said the system can improve the accuracy and efficiency of parts delivery while reducing safety risks for workers.
Hyundai Mobis also demonstrated a physical AI-based robot training platform that uses digital twins to reproduce manufacturing lines virtually.
The system allows robotic arms and grippers to practice production tasks in the simulated environment before operating on the factory floor. Using a virtual model of an airbag production line, the company showed how robots could be retrained within two to four hours after changes to products or equipment.
Another exhibit automated the process of attaching temperature sensors to battery modules, a task previously performed manually because of the connectors’ small size.
The system uses precision controls to inspect the connector from four directions, while deep-learning technology identifies the correct insertion point before completing the connection.
“We will continue applying innovative technologies based on AI and digital twins to production sites to strengthen our manufacturing competitiveness,” said Jeong Choong-sik, executive director in charge of production development at Hyundai Mobis.
yejinlim@heraldcorp.com