Mitsubishi joins the automaker rush into factory humanoid robots

Mitsubishi has joined the automaker rush into factory humanoid robots. The company announced a partnership with Tokyo-based Highlanders Inc. to mass-produce humanoid robots in Japan. Mitsubishi targets making 1,000 robots per month by the end of 2027. The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this month. Mitsubishi plans to deploy the robots on an engine manufacturing line at its Kyoto plant. Highlanders, a startup spun out of the University of Tokyo in 2023, builds general-purpose humanoid and quadruped robots using domestically sourced parts. The announcement revealed Mitsubishi already has a stake in Highlanders and plans additional investments. The deal puts Mitsubishi in a contest that includes Hyundai, Tesla, BYD, Xiaomi, and XPeng, all of which are investing in humanoids for their own assembly lines.