SK Telecom has been leading the ‘K-AI Alliance,’ a coalition of South Korea’s AI innovation companies, aimed at strengthening the domestic AI ecosystem and exploring joint entry into global markets. The K-AI Alliance currently comprises 30 leading Korean AI startups and has been actively engaging in a wide range of activities, such as showcasing the innovative technologies of seven K-AI Alliance companies at MWC25, held in Barcelona, Spain, from March 3 to 6 (local time).
SKT Newsroom spoke with Sungho Lee, CEO of CMES, a key member of the K-AI Alliance since June 2023, to learn more about the synergies and achievements of being part of the K-AI Alliance. CMES has built a technological relationship with SKT since its early days.
* This article contains the opinions of other companies and may differ from SK Telecom’s official position.
CMES CEO Sungho Lee, “We are setting a new standard for intelligent robot automation”
Sungho Lee, CEO of CMES
CMES is a company that combines 3D vision, AI, and robot control technologies to provide intelligent robotics solutions. These solutions address unstructured processes that have been difficult to automate with conventional robotics. By equipping robots with “eyes” through 3D vision technology, CMES enables them to recognize and analyze visual information using AI. This allows robots to autonomously make decisions and precisely perform tasks. The intelligent robot automation technology of CMES is implemented in various industries, including logistics, manufacturing, automotive, and footwear. The technology is particularly effective in handling tasks that were challenging to automate with conventional technologies, such as managing flexible materials or complex processes with multiple steps. CMES’ solutions empower robots to recognize situations, make immediate decisions, and process tasks much like humans.
SK Telecom recognized CMES’ technological capabilities and began investing in the company in 2016 with an initial investment of approximately USD 610,000 (KRW 900 million). This partnership led to the joint development of an AI-based logistics moving and loading robot in 2020. In 2022, SKT and CMES signed a business agreement for AI robot logistics cooperation, which included an investment of USD 6.8 million (KRW 10 billion). This collaboration continued with CMES joining the K-AI Alliance in June 2023.
Q. As a leading Korean company for K-logistics robotics solutions, what differentiates CMES from a technological standpoint?
CMES has rapidly grown through practical experience accumulated by implementing solutions on the ground with large logistics companies such as Coupang, one of South Korea’s largest e-commerce companies known for its advanced logistics network, and CJ Logistics, a major logistics and supply chain company in South Korea. We have used this experience to further improve our technical perfection and provide automation solutions optimized for logistics sites, which has become the key strength that differentiates us.
Piece Picking Solution
Random Box Palletizing Solution
Piece Picking Solution
Random Box Palletizing Solution
Piece Picking Solution
Random Box Palletizing Solution
In particular, the “Piece Picking Solution” and “Random Box Palletizing Solution”, which were unveiled at an exhibition earlier this year, are receiving spotlight as they present new possibilities for logistics automation. The “Autobagger Piece Picking Solution” can pick tens of thousands of randomly placed products with a 99.9% accuracy, which makes the technology perfect for 3PL (third-party logistics) expansion. The “Random Box Palletizing Solution” can automate multi-product mixed loading without the need for pre-sorting or ordering of boxes. We expect it to take hold as a key technology that meets the needs of the changing logistics environment and overcomes the limitations of existing logistics systems.
Using our 3D vision, AI, and robot control technologies, CMES also has full-stack engineering capabilities that range from robot cell designs that consider connectivity with existing facilities, manufacturing grippers customized for each product, to installing and maintaining safety equipment and peripherals. By combining these technological strengths with real-world experience, CMES continuously develops immediately deployable intelligent logistics automation solutions, leading the way in logistics innovation.
Q. Please tell us about your experience so far as a K-AI Alliance partner.
CMES has had ties with SKT from the very beginning as a tech startup founded in 2014. As one of the first batch of companies selected by the Daejeon Creative Economy Innovation Center, CMES has received significant support from SKT, including incubation, seed investment, and Series B investment. This partnership has been an integral part of CMES’ story, fostering a strong relationship between the two companies.
We are deeply honored to join the K-AI Alliance, especially during a time when the intersection of robotics and AI is becoming increasingly important. We are excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with great AI companies by leveraging our robotics technology. We look forward to creating tangible synergies with K-AI Alliance partners who have various AI technologies and contribute to the alliance’s growth by pooling together innovative technologies.
Q. What are some accomplishments that have come about since joining the K-AI Alliance?
CMES and SKT have jointly developed an intelligent robot system for a large Korean logistics company and successfully applied it to the most difficult mass production lines. This marked the first step for CMES to expand into the logistics field. Today, we are using the most advanced AI and robotics technology in the world to deliver logistics robotics solutions to Korea’s largest logistics company. We continue to collaborate with SK Group companies, exploring innovative ways to integrate robots into manufacturing processes to replace human-like flexible work.
K-AI Alliance connects Korea’s AI innovation to the world
Q. As a frontier company, what is the significance of the K-AI Alliance to you?
As the Korean chapter leader of the K-AI Alliance, we are excited to be making significant progress already with 17 partners in Korea alone. Together with SKT, the K-AI Alliance aims to fortify Korea’s global leadership in AI technology and serve as a critical bridge connecting Korean AI innovation to the world. We are committed to working with various industries to build a sustainable future for AI to positively impact society and the economy, going beyond mere technological advancement. Our goal is to create innovative and meaningful changes by working with our partners to position AI as a human-centric technology.
Q. What is the outlook on the growth potential of the intelligent robotics field and what role do you see CMES playing as a leading company?
We believe that the field of intelligent robotics has tremendous potential to revolutionize industries across the globe. The demand for robotics in particular will grow rapidly as automation, higher efficiency, and new value creation enabled by human-robot collaboration become possible. The role of robots is expected to expand in various sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and services, which will further accelerate the growth of the intelligent robot market.
As a forerunner in intelligent robotics, CMES is leading the market with technological innovation. We are improving the intelligence, autonomy, and quality of human-robot interaction through continuous research & development, focusing on providing solutions that meet the needs of real-world applications and customers. In addition, our collaboration with global partners will expand the scalability and application of our technology, which is important in creating tangible value in various industries. CMES will continue to innovate and challenge ourselves to ensure that intelligent robotics becomes a key technology for our society in the future.
Q. What kind of cooperation and solidarity is needed for the K-AI Alliance to be competitive in the global market? And what is SKT’s role in this endeavor?
First, we believe that it is important for various industries and companies to work closely together and combine their mutually complementary capabilities and resources. AI technology development requires multidisciplinary expertise and collaboration, rather than advancing in isolation. To this end, strategic alliances and joint research & development with global partners are essential, as well as developing solutions that are customized to meet the diverse market characteristics of each country.
As a key leader in the K-AI Alliance, SKT is not only leading the development of AI technologies but also driving collaboration with partners. Leveraging its outstanding network infrastructure and AI technology, SKT is strengthening the connection between the K-AI Alliance and the global AI ecosystem, while laying the foundation for developing various innovative technologies at the heart of collaboration. In addition, SKT’s global business network and experience will play an important role in helping the K-AI Alliance spread AI solutions to various countries and industries.
Q. Tell us about CMES’ vision and future plans.
CMES aims to revolutionize manufacturing and logistics with AI-powered intelligent robotics solutions. Our core vision is to develop precise and efficient robotic systems that can be utilized in the industrial setting, going beyond simple automation.
We are committed to further advancing AI technology in the future, enabling robots to learn autonomously and discover the optimal ways to perform tasks, ultimately achieving intelligent automation solutions. We also plan to strengthen our presence in the domestic market while expanding collaboration with global partners to enhance our competitiveness worldwide. By working with SKT, the K-AI Alliance, and various other companies, we will continue to advance AI technology and focus on delivering robotics solutions that provide tangible value to our customers. Moving forward, we will drive innovation and actively expand our market presence to grow as a leading company in the AI robotics industry.
