A plan to manufacture humanoid robots
On August 5 at 8:30 PM, it was reported that Mitsubishi Motors, together with Tokyo-based startup Highlanders Inc., intends to begin mass-producing humanoid robots at its Kyoto plant as early as 2027. The move is another sign of automakers branching out into advanced robotics. The factory will convert its currently unused car engine assembly lines for this work, with enough capacity to build up to 1,000 robots a month.
The first robot units will be put to work on Mitsubishi's own production lines, and later deliveries are planned for other industrial clients. The project is based on the HL Human platform, unveiled in 2025. A robot built on it will feature 19 degrees of freedom and powerful electric actuators. Thanks to physical AI, it can independently interpret its environment, organize its actions, and understand commands spoken in natural language.
Future versions and implications for industry
Later upgrades are expected to include five-fingered hands that can handle payloads of up to 3 kg. This underlines the company's aim to weave robotic systems tightly into industrial operations and make factories more productive.
Mitsubishi Motors' move into humanoid production marks an important moment for Japanese robotics and could have consequences for automation markets around the world. As industries demand more automated solutions, such robots may help companies improve efficiency and cut labor costs. At the same time, they raise new concerns about ethics and the future of work in an increasingly automated economy.