(Yonhap Interview) Startup RLWRLD seeks to tackle demographic decline with its dexterity robot foundation model

Go to Contents Go to Navigation Facebook X More Pinterest Linked in Tumblr Reddit Facebook Messenger Copy URL URL is copied. OK By Kang Jae-eun SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- Dexterity, or mimicking the delicate movements of the human hand, is considered the final frontier for physical artificial intelligence (AI). Startup RLWRLD Inc.

seeks to clear that ultimate hurdle and rescue all countries battling a severe labor crunch caused by population decline, Ryu Jung-hee, the startup's chief executive officer (CEO), said. "Whether it is due to a labor shortage or because the tasks are simply impossible for humans to perform, our goal is to provide a solution that can take on such tasks," Ryu said in a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul. Ryu Jung-hee, the CEO of RLWRLD Inc.

, is seen in this file photo provided by the company on July 10, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) Founded in 2024, RLWRLD is a startup that develops foundation models for dexterity robots, or AI brains designed specifically for complex, five-finger manipulation. Its RLDX-1 model allows robots to comprehend visual, verbal and physical information to generate action -- meaning it lets robots see and feel an object, as well as act on verbal commands.

But the model sets itself apart through four traits, Ryu said. One of them is the motion module, which allows robots to process multiframe observations, helping them catch moving objects or track real-world changes in speed or dynamics. Another unique characteristic of the RLDX-1 is its memory module, which helps robots make history-grounded decisions.

For example, the function lets robots find an object it placed in a specific drawer a few minutes prior, whereas with traditional models, robots would often forget where they put the object. Powering its foundation model is an extensive library of human expertise, collected by the company from real-world working environments, mostly in Japan and South Korea, Ryu said. This is because Japan and South Korea are the two countries with the most skilled and sophisticated manufacturing work force, not to mention excellent service quality.

"For AI, the key is in the quality of the data, not quantity," he said. In this file photo, researchers check a robot at a lab inside RLWRLD Inc.'s office in southern Seoul on June 8, 2026.

(Yonhap) The startup has been capturing workers' hand movements, such as those when staff fold napkins, at local hotel operator Hotel Lotte Co. In Japan, the company has partnered with Lawson Inc., a convenience store chain, to acquire motion data of store workers.

"The situation in Japan is very desperate because country has been experiencing a demographic cliff for 30 years," Ryu said. "In the case of Lawson, it is hesitant to open new stores because they are having a hard time hiring people to work there, despite growing need for convenience stores amid the super-aging society." Ryu said he considers Japan to be the "most fast-moving and largest" market for physical AI due to its hyper-aging society, noting that the company is in discussions with some 20 firms there about potential partnerships.

In the United States, where RLWRLD is headquartered, the startup has recently teamed up with chip giant Nvidia Corp. and is working to develop next-generation industry standards for humanoid robot AI. "We are expecting to see results come out around the third quarter," he said.

In this file photo, Nvidia Corp.'s CEO Jensen Huang speaks on stage at the "Nvidia AI ecosystem reception" in Seoul on June 8, 2026, which brought together various startups in South Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) sector, including RLWRLD Inc. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) When asked about the future of South Korea's physical AI sector, Ryu expressed confidence, describing the country as a "research powerhouse" in the field.

According to Ryu, South Korea is among the top three countries in the world in terms of the number of quality research papers published on physical AI, alongside China and the U.S. "But the U.

S. is not fully aware of how far humanoid hardware has developed (in other countries) … while China is trying to overcome its low-quality data with quantity, so there is still a gap there," he said.

"If South Korea can make deployments on a mass scale and earn data from there, I think there is a chance of winning," the CEO added. fairydust@yna.co.

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