NEUBILITY Unveils Hybrid Humanoid Robot ‘Billi’ for the First Time

[산업일보]
Robotics company NEUBILITY unveiled its hybrid humanoid robot ‘Billi’ for the first time at the media preview event ‘Billi: The First Look,’ held on September 29 at KT&G Sangsang Planet in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

Billi was developed based on the company’s existing autonomous mobile robot ‘Neubi,’ incorporating driving data and operational know-how accumulated across more than 150 sites.





At the event, NEUBILITY set up a stage simulating a work environment equipped with an elevator. Billi demonstrated a series of tasks, including using the elevator, moving to a work shelf, picking up an item and placing it in its cargo compartment, and then boarding the elevator again.

Kim Rak-hee, PO at NEUBILITY overseeing product planning, said, “We developed Billi not simply as a robot that moves, but as a robot capable of completing an entire task from start to finish.”

According to the company, Billi features a drive-based lower body for fast and stable movement, along with an elevating upper body structure designed to operate in human-oriented workspaces such as shelving areas. Its hands and arms can be adjusted in height, while the upper body can rotate 360 degrees.

The robot is also equipped with a detachable modular cargo compartment to support the transportation of various types of cargo. Its working payload is less than 15 kg, while the cargo compartment can carry up to 60 kg. During driving mode, Billi lowers its upper body and folds its arms.



Kim emphasized, “Billi is not a robot designed to look like a human. It was built to adapt to existing environments where people work and perform tasks in those environments.”

To perform a task, Billi first recognizes its own posture, spatial information, and information about objects. It then determines how and in what order to handle the recognized objects before executing the necessary movements.

“What is needed in this process is ‘intelligence that understands space,’” he said. “Rather than simply repeating a predetermined motion, Billi observes the situation, determines what to do, organically decides how to move, and then executes the task.”

Kim defined this capability as a ‘skill set,’ explaining, “Billi’s versatility is completed through the orchestration of multiple skills.”

He added, “However, these processes do not always work perfectly in real-world environments. That is why a robot’s ‘autonomy’ is not about completing a task perfectly in a single attempt, but about being able to understand an unexpected situation and determine what to do next.”



Kim Rak-hee said, “Starting today, Billi will move into a variety of real-world environments. Depending on the requirements of each environment—including manufacturing, logistics, patrol, safety, and living spaces—we plan to develop various forms and expand Billi into diverse tasks and environments by enhancing its versatility and skill sets.”

Meanwhile, NEUBILITY plans to conduct PoCs with CJ CheilJedang, as well as major food manufacturers, precision manufacturers, and logistics companies, beginning in the second half of the year.