The photo shows a demonstration of Hyundai and Kia’s automated sanding and polishing technology, in which robots precisely refine vehicle paint surfaces to ensure uniform quality. (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor and Kia)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. showcased the latest advances in smart factory technology at their annual “E-Forest Tech Day 2025,” held this week at production facilities in Hwaseong and Ulsan, the companies said Thursday.
Now in its sixth year, the event featured 177 innovations across four themes: automation, manufacturing intelligence, sustainability and safety, and new mobility.
Among the automation highlights were systems that use robots to insert heavy wiring harnesses into vehicles and to sand and polish painted surfaces for a smoother finish. Another demonstration, called the “Overhead Robot AGV Body Line,” showed how autonomous guided vehicles transport car bodies while overhead robots automatically swap out parts for different models.
The photo shows the “Overhead Robot AGV Body Line,” which uses autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) instead of conventional mechanical shuttles. (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor and Kia)
The “manufacturing intelligence” section focused on integrating artificial intelligence and digital technologies into production lines. Hyundai and Kia unveiled a predictive maintenance system using Boston Dynamics’ four-legged robot, Spot, which patrols factories to detect vibration, temperature, and gas leaks in real time.
The companies also demonstrated a digital twin platform built on Nvidia’s Omniverse and an in-house small language model (SLM) that diagnoses equipment failures and suggests solutions automatically.
The photo shows Boston Dynamics’ four-legged robot “SPOT” autonomously patrolling a factory while monitoring equipment conditions in real time using various sensors. (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor and Kia)
In the environmental and safety category, Hyundai and Kia presented what they called the world’s first AI-powered hybrid smart safety sensor, which fuses color, infrared, and thermal imaging data to distinguish people from objects with high accuracy.
The new mobility section showcased next-generation materials and techniques, including lightweight manufacturing, precision molding, and 3D-printed custom parts.
The companies said their broader goal is to build a software-defined factory (SDF) capable of producing customized vehicles in real time, responding directly to diverse consumer demands.
Hyundai and Kia also hosted a seminar with suppliers on smart manufacturing technologies and joint innovation strategies.
“We aim to expand the scope of future manufacturing technologies across our group and partners, fostering a global ecosystem of innovation that will lead the next era of industrial transformation,” a Hyundai-Kia manufacturing solutions executive said in a statement.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
