South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. and Japan’s Yaskawa Electric Corp. suggested the potential for collaboration in mechatronics, which combines the mechanics and electronics, in logistics processes within auto manufacturing.

The need stems from the complexity of handling tens of thousands of irregularly shaped parts in automotive production.

At the 40th Korea-Japan Business Forum, co-hosted by Maeil Business Newspaper and Nikkei Business during the 26th World Knowledge Forum in Seoul on Wednesday, Seigo Yamada, head of Yaskawa Electric Korea, and Shin Dong-jo, director of Hyundai’s electrification production technology center, discussed prospects for mechatronics cooperation between the two countries.

The term mechatronics, first coined by Yaskawa Electric more than 50 years ago, is now widely used in next-generation industries such as smart factories and robotics.

Yaskawa developed Japan’s first electric-powered multi-joint industrial robot, the MOTOMAN, while Hyundai has spearheaded automation innovation in manufacturing with robotics.

Both Yamada and Shin agreed that while automation in welding and assembly processes is already advanced, the logistics stage still lacks automation, leaving room for cooperation.

“We could provide Hyundai with systems capable of autonomously selecting irregularly shaped objects,” Yamada said.

Shin noted that “picking out irregular parts in assembly lines remains an area not yet automated at Hyundai. If we work with Yaskawa, we could find solutions here as well.”

Shin added, “Korea has strengths in semiconductors, batteries, and information and communications technology (ICT), while Japan excels in robotics, materials, and sensors. By leveraging these strengths to find collaborative approaches in mechatronics, the two countries can respond faster and expand in global markets.”

Despite growing automation, both stressed that human labor would remain essential.

“Even with robots, people are needed to operate them or analyze data,” Shin said.

Yamada added, “Humans will continue to consider how to further innovate various processes at a higher level.”

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