Future Models Will Include Five-fingered Dexterous Hands Capable of Grasping Objects Up to 3 Kilograms

Mitsubishi Motors will begin mass-producing AI-powered humanoid robots from early 2027, targeting 1,000 units per month at its Kyoto factory by converting an idle engine production line into a robot assembly line. Developed with Tokyo-based robotics startup Highlanders Inc., the robots will first work in Mitsubishi's own plants, then be marketed to other companies in manufacturing, logistics, and similar sectors. Highlanders, founded in 2023 out of the University of Tokyo, builds general-purpose humanoid and quadruped robots for labor-shortage fields like production, logistics, infrastructure inspection, and disaster response.

Its flagship HL Human humanoid features 19 degrees of freedom and high-torque electric actuators for human-like movement, with AI-driven perception, motion planning, and natural language interaction for largely autonomous complex tasks. Future models will include five-fingered dexterous hands capable of grasping objects up to 3 kilograms. The company is also developing a physical AI platform and simulation software to speed training and deployment across industries.