Mitsubishi Motors and Highlanders Reach Basic Agreement on Humanoid Robot Mass Production, Targeting 1,000 Units Per Month in 2027

Mitsubishi Motors and Highlanders, a Tokyo University-backed robotics startup, signed a basic memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint development and mass production of humanoid robots. This represents the first such collaboration between an automotive manufacturer and a humanoid robot developer aimed at mass production. Highlanders' fourth-generation humanoid robot "N" features cameras and voice systems concentrated in the face, with deep learning-powered AI automatically controlling joints in the limbs.

Production will take place at Mitsubishi Motors' Kyoto facility, with manufacturing to begin in early 2027 and targeting a production capacity of 1,000 units per month by mid-to-late 2027. The initiative addresses critical challenges in Japan's manufacturing sector, including labor shortages and succession of skilled techniques, through innovative deployment of physical AI technology.