Daeduck Electronics deploys humanoid robots at PCB plant with AeiROBOT
Daeduck Electronics is running South Korea's first humanoid robot pilot in PCB manufacturing, using AeiROBOT's ALICE M1 to handle high-mix production tasks.
Daeduck Electronics is running South Korea's first humanoid robot pilot in PCB manufacturing, using AeiROBOT's ALICE M1 to handle high-mix production tasks.
Daeduck Electronics is deploying humanoid robots on a PCB production line, marking the first such pilot in South Korea's printed circuit board industry. The company is working with domestic robotics firm AeiROBOT, whose ALICE M1 robot will handle repetitive material tasks while engineers collect data to decide whether to expand the program across the factory.
What exactly is being deployed, and what will the robots do?
AeiROBOT's ALICE M1 is a wheeled humanoid with seven-joint arms capable of human-like manipulation. Its adjustable waist lets it operate at heights between roughly 1.3 and 1.7 meters, so it can reach workstations at different levels without reconfiguration. Two units will be introduced in phases at Daeduck's facility, with the initial demonstration targeted for completion before the end of 2025.
During the proof-of-concept phase, the robots will pick up, transport, and organize PCBs. Daeduck will then analyze task success rates, travel paths, and cycle times to judge whether the robots are ready for broader deployment. Results are expected within about six months of the pilot starting.
Why humanoid robots for PCB manufacturing specifically?
PCB production is a notoriously difficult environment for conventional automation. Board dimensions, thicknesses, and stacking configurations change constantly depending on the customer and product, which makes purpose-built machinery hard to justify economically. A humanoid robot equipped with cameras and AI can learn to identify different board types and adjust its handling approach, which is exactly what high-mix production demands.
Humanoid robots are a practical answer to the high-mix problem that has kept conventional automation out of PCB factories for decades.
Globally, humanoid robot pilots have concentrated in automotive, where Tesla, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai Motor have all run programs focused on parts transport and repetitive assembly tasks. Daeduck's deployment signals that electronics manufacturing is now entering the same conversation, and PCB plants could become a significant new vertical for humanoid vendors.
What does this mean for AeiROBOT and the broader South Korean market?
AeiROBOT is running parallel proof-of-concept projects with Daeduck and several other manufacturers, including companies in shipbuilding. The company plans to place around 20 robots total this year, treating each deployment as a data-collection exercise rather than a commercial sale. Full-scale commercial shipments are planned for 2027, which aligns with broader industry forecasts that expect humanoid robot adoption in manufacturing to accelerate from that year onward, with global annual shipments projected to exceed 115,000 units.
South Korea's humanoid robot market is forecast to grow from $113 million in 2025 to $584 million by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 39.1%. For AeiROBOT, landing a reference customer in PCB manufacturing before that growth curve steepens is a meaningful strategic position. For Daeduck, the risk is low at two units, but the upside is a head start on automating a production environment that has resisted it for years.
What is the ALICE M1 robot and what makes it suited for PCB handling?
ALICE M1 is a wheeled humanoid robot built by South Korean firm AeiROBOT. It has seven-joint arms for human-like manipulation and an adjustable waist that lets it work at heights between about 1.3 and 1.7 meters. Combined with cameras and AI, it can learn to recognize different PCB types and handle them appropriately, which matters in high-mix factories where board specs change frequently.
How significant is this deployment for the South Korean robotics market?
It is the first humanoid robot deployment in a PCB manufacturing facility in South Korea. The country's humanoid robot market is projected to grow from $113 million in 2025 to $584 million by 2030. A successful pilot at Daeduck could accelerate adoption across the broader electronics supply chain, giving AeiROBOT a referenceable case before full commercial shipments begin in 2027.
What happens after the initial proof-of-concept, and when will results be known?
Daeduck will collect operational data including task success rates, travel paths, and cycle times over roughly six months. If the results are positive, the company plans to evaluate expanding the robots into additional manufacturing processes. AeiROBOT is also running similar pilots in shipbuilding and with other manufacturers, aiming to build industry-specific deployment cases before scaling up commercially.