Construction of Physical AI KAIROS Enables the First AI-Managed Unmanned Factory
KAIST announced the creation of ‘KAIROS’ (KAIST AI Robot Orchestration Systems), a physical AI-based unmanned factory testbed developed by Professor Young Jae Jang and his team in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Unveiled on March 23, KAIROS integrates and controls heterogeneous robots, sensors, automation facilities, and digital twins into a single AI-driven system, marking Korea’s first fully unmanned and integrated factory platform.
KAIROS operates through an AI agent-based Operating System (OS), coordinating Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), humanoid robots, collaborative robots, logistics systems, and industrial sensors as a unified intelligent platform. Unlike traditional automation that managed devices individually, this system enables a factory to function as a single AI-managed entity, demonstrating the concept of ‘Physical AI-based factory operation.’
The project, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), leverages 100% domestic technology, providing a foundation for South Korea’s “K-Manufacturing Factory Export Model” and reducing reliance on foreign automation solutions. KAIROS also serves as a testbed for domestic robotics and automation companies to pre-verify equipment, advance simulation and virtual verification environments, and develop Dark Factory solutions competitive with global leaders such as Siemens, FANUC, and Yaskawa.
President Kwang Hyung Lee highlighted KAIROS as a new industrial paradigm, while Professor Jang emphasized its role in integrating diverse technologies and supporting industrial innovation for global competitiveness.
