Korean robotics pioneer Rainbow Robotics has unveiled an impressive video demonstration of its new humanoid system—RB-Y1, a dual-arm mobile manipulator engineered for high-speed, real-world autonomy. This unveiling marks a significant step forward in humanoid robotics for logistics, industrial automation, and complex manipulation tasks.
Pushing the Frontier of Mobile Manipulators
RB-Y1 reflects the industry’s increasing push toward integrated humanoids that combine locomotion and dexterity. Unlike bipedal humanoids focused on humanoid aesthetics, this unit embraces functional utility: it rolls on a wheel-type high-speed platform, ensuring rapid mobility across factory or warehouse floors while its arms manage intricate manipulation.
Hardware and Motion Capabilities
Each of RB-Y1’s two arms features 7 degrees of freedom, delivering human-like precision and range for tasks like assembly, pick-and-place, or tool operation. The single leg mechanism adds 6 degrees of freedom, further stabilizing and adjusting the system’s posture while navigating uneven terrain or accessing various shelf heights.
The manipulator arms were showcased handling dynamic object interactions with coordinated bilateral control—an essential step toward real-time, multi-object manipulation in fast-paced industrial settings.
Enabling Flexible Workforce Automation
By combining high-speed autonomous mobility with advanced manipulation, RB-Y1 is designed to reduce reliance on fixed automation systems. This increases flexibility, particularly for dynamic production lines or warehouses with variable layouts, minimizing downtime and reducing capital expenditure on static robots.
RB-Y1’s development also complements South Korea’s growing investment in next-gen robotics and is likely to attract commercial interest across Asia, Europe, and the U.S.
Strategic Significance: Korea’s Bet on Humanoid Utility
With Boston Dynamics and Figure AI gaining Western headlines, Rainbow Robotics positions South Korea as a serious player in practical humanoid systems. RB-Y1’s modular design aligns with global trends toward deployable, multi-purpose robots that blur the line between humanoid and mobile manipulator.
This model is a continuation of Rainbow Robotics’ collaboration with Hyundai, Korea’s industrial heavyweights, and university research programs focused on safe, efficient human-robot co-working environments.
Credit : Rainbow Robotics
