# Mitsubishi Motors partners with Tokyo startup to produce AI humanoid robots at scale > Source: > Published: 2026-07-26 05:10:45+00:00 # Mitsubishi Motors partners with Tokyo startup to produce AI humanoid robots at scale The automaker plans to manufacture 1,000 humanoid robots per month at its Kyoto plant by early 2027, marking a first for the automotive industry. Mitsubishi Motors just signed a deal that makes its Kyoto car plant moonlight as a robot factory. The Japanese automaker inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Highlanders, Inc., a University of Tokyo spinout, to jointly develop and mass-produce AI-powered humanoid robots, with a target of cranking out up to 1,000 units per month by early 2027. It’s the first time an automotive manufacturer has committed to producing humanoid robots using its existing manufacturing infrastructure. ## Why a car company is building robots Japan has a people problem. The country’s workforce has been shrinking for years thanks to an aging population and declining birth rates, and the automotive sector has been hit particularly hard. The partnership with Highlanders, which was founded in 2023 as a robotics-focused spinout from the University of Tokyo, is specifically designed to create humanoid robots tailored for Mitsubishi’s own manufacturing operations. The idea is straightforward: use AI-driven robots to fill gaps on the factory floor, maintain productivity, and preserve institutional knowledge that would otherwise walk out the door with retiring employees. Mitsubishi’s edge, at least in theory, is that it already has the manufacturing muscle. Repurposing automotive production lines for robot assembly is a clever shortcut that pure robotics startups simply can’t replicate without billions in capital expenditure. ## What makes this different from the usual robot hype Highlanders brings the robotics IP and AI expertise, having emerged from one of Asia’s premier research universities just three years ago. Mitsubishi brings something arguably more valuable: a proven, large-scale manufacturing operation that already knows how to build complex machines efficiently. No specific robot models or detailed technical specifications have been disclosed yet. What we know is that the robots are being designed specifically for manufacturing environments, which suggests a focus on dexterity, reliability, and safety rather than the consumer-facing companion robots that tend to dominate headlines. **Disclosure:** This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our [Editorial Policy](https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/).