Humanoid robots take center stage as Seoul opens Smart Life Week

Humanoid robots performed at Coex in southern Seoul on Tuesday as Smart Life Week 2026 opened. Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the exhibition runs through Thursday under the theme “Designing Life with AI” and brings together 529 firms, public institutions and city governments. The event highlights physical AI, including robots that sense, navigate and act alongside humans. Seoul is promoting a Physical AI Belt linking Yangjae and Suseo while operating self-driving vehicles on public roads.

Hall A demonstrates AI applications in municipal administration, public transit, education and elder care through zones modeled on Gwanghwamun, the Han River and Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

Hall B hosts the Seoul AI Robot Show, featuring dancing machines, robot athletes, quadrupedal robots and humanoid robot demonstrations.

Marc Raibert, executive director of RAI Institute and founder of Boston Dynamics, said robots could eventually help with household chores and elder care.

The Seoul Physical AI Belt is planned as a specialized corridor connecting AI Tech City in Yangjae with the robotics cluster in Suseo.

Published Oct 6, 2026 4:05 pm KST

Sporting and performing robots offer glimpse into future of physical AI

Miniature humanoid robots spar inside a boxing ring during Smart Life Week 2026 at COEX in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

Inside the exhibition halls of Coex in southern Seoul on Tuesday, a bipedal humanoid robot swayed its arms to a K-pop beat. Across the room, another white robotic torso traded swift returns with a human opponent across a badminton net while robot fighters wearing oversized red and blue headgear sparred inside a miniature boxing ring.

The spectacle marked the opening of Smart Life Week (SLW) 2026, a tech-driven smart city expo hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Running through Thursday under the theme “Designing Life with AI,” the exhibition brings together 529 participating firms, public institutions and city governments to showcase how artificial intelligence (AI) is shifting from digital screens into physical reality.

This year’s event placed heavy emphasis on robotics and “physical AI,” which is capable of sensing, navigating and acting in physical environments alongside humans.

At the miniature boxing ring, which drew a large crowd of onlookers, the two fighting robots marched to the center as directed by an emcee, waving to spectators before the opening bell rang. Though their swings were somewhat stiff, the robots struck convincing stances, weaving and trading jabs to cheers and chuckles from the surrounding crowd.

Across the exhibition floor, city officials divided the showcase into two main areas. Hall A featured experiential zones modeled after major Seoul landmarks such as Gwanghwamun, the Han River and Dongdaemun Design Plaza to demonstrate AI applications in municipal administration, public transit, education and elder care. In Hall B, the Seoul AI Robot Show served as the event’s entertainment venue, featuring everything from dancing machines to robot athletes and quadrupedal robots.

A humanoid robot plays badminton against a human opponent during Smart Life Week 2026 at COEX in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

At the opening ceremony, keynote speaker Marc Raibert, executive director of RAI Institute and founder of Boston Dynamics, said humanity is living through a “remarkable moment in history.”

“Someday I want to have a robot at home that helps clean my car,” Raibert said, describing a vision where machines learn practical chores by observing human actions.

He then described a future vision in which robots will help provide solutions in many areas, such as elder care.

“I’m getting older, and someday I’m going to need some help,” he said. “Even though some people may not like the idea of robots taking care of their elderly, I think this will be a very successful thing.”

Beyond industrial utility and home assistance, Raibert emphasized that robotics is not solely a technical discipline, saying the field belongs as much to creators as to coders.

“I think people think of robotics as a technical area that’s for engineers and managers, but it’s really an area for creativity and artists,” Raibert said. “And I’m hoping that that will be front and center in the future of the work that we do in the physical world.”

Seoul is leveraging the event to promote its vision of becoming a leading city for physical AI. At the core of that strategy is the “Seoul Physical AI Belt,” a specialized corridor connecting AI Tech City in Yangjae with the robotics cluster in Suseo. Alongside industrial research, the city government currently operates self-driving vehicles on public roads, trying to apply AI as it seeks to turn the entire capital into a testbed for real-world robotics.

“Using the coldest technology to create the warmest change — this is the vision of physical AI that Seoul has chosen,” Mayor Oh Se-hoon said in his speech. “We will foster Smart Life Week into an international platform where cities, companies and researchers around the world share their experience and technology.”

周二，在首尔南部COEX会展中心举行的2026智慧生活周上，人形机器人进行了表演。此次展览由首尔市政府主办，以“用人工智能设计生活”为主题，将持续至周四，汇聚了529家企业、公共机构和市政府。活动重点展示了物理人工智能，包括能够感知、导航并与人类协同行动的机器人。首尔正在推广连接良才和水西的“物理人工智能带”，并在公共道路上运行自动驾驶车辆。

A 厅通过模拟光化门、汉江和东大门设计广场的区域，展示了人工智能在市政管理、公共交通、教育和老年护理方面的应用。

B厅将举办首尔人工智能机器人展，展出包括跳舞机器人、机器人运动员、四足机器人和人形机器人的演示。

RAI研究所执行董事兼波士顿动力公司创始人马克·雷伯特表示，机器人最终可以帮助人们做家务和照顾老人。

首尔物理人工智能带计划打造一条连接良才人工智能科技城和水西机器人产业集群的专用走廊。

发布于2026年10月6日下午4:05（韩国标准时间）

运动和表演机器人让我们得以一窥物理人工智能的未来。

周二，在首尔COEX举行的2026智慧生活周期间，微型人形机器人在拳击台上进行对练。（Newsis）

周二，在首尔南部COEX展览中心内，一个双足人形机器人随着K-pop音乐的节奏摇摆着手臂。在展厅的另一边，另一个白色机器人躯干正与一名人类对手隔着羽毛球网快速击球，而戴着超大红蓝头盔的机器人战士则在一个微型拳击台上进行对练。

这场盛会标志着由首尔市政府主办的2026智慧生活周（SLW）正式拉开帷幕。智慧生活周是一场以科技为驱动的智慧城市博览会，以“用人工智能设计生活”为主题，将持续至本周四。展览汇集了529家参展企业、公共机构和市政府，共同展示人工智能（AI）如何从数字屏幕走向现实世界。

今年的活动重点关注机器人技术和“物理人工智能”，后者能够与人类一起在物理环境中感知、导航和行动。

在吸引了众多观众的迷你拳击台上，两台格斗机器人按照主持人的指示走向中央，在开场铃声响起前向观众挥手致意。虽然它们的挥拳动作略显僵硬，但机器人摆出的姿势十分逼真，它们灵活地闪躲腾挪，互不相让，引得周围观众阵阵欢呼和笑声。

整个展厅被首尔市政府官员划分为两大区域。A厅以首尔的主要地标建筑为原型，打造了体验区，例如光化门、汉江和东大门设计广场，旨在展示人工智能在市政管理、公共交通、教育和养老等领域的应用。B厅则以首尔人工智能机器人展为娱乐中心，展出了从跳舞机器人到机器人运动员和四足机器人等各种精彩内容。

周二，在首尔COEX举行的2026智慧生活周上，一个人形机器人与人类对手进行了一场羽毛球比赛。（Newsis）

在开幕式上，主旨演讲嘉宾、RAI 研究所执行董事兼波士顿动力公司创始人马克·雷伯特表示，人类正在经历“历史上一个非凡的时刻”。

“我希望有一天家里能有一个机器人帮我洗车，”雷伯特说道，他描绘了一个愿景：机器通过观察人类的行为来学习实际的家务。

然后，他描绘了一幅未来愿景，在这个愿景中，机器人将在许多领域（例如老年护理）提供解决方案。

“我年纪大了，总有一天需要人帮忙，”他说。“虽然有些人可能不喜欢机器人照顾老人的想法，但我认为这将是一件非常成功的事情。”

除了工业用途和家庭辅助之外，雷伯特强调，机器人技术不仅仅是一门技术学科，这个领域既属于程序员，也属于创造者。

“我认为人们通常认为机器人技术是一个工程师和管理人员的技术领域，但它实际上是一个充满创造力和艺术气息的领域，”雷伯特说。“我希望这在未来我们现实世界的工作中能够占据核心地位。”

首尔正利用此次活动宣传其成为实体人工智能领先城市的愿景。该战略的核心是“首尔实体人工智能带”，这是一条连接良才人工智能科技城和水西机器人产业集群的专用走廊。除了产业研究之外，首尔市政府目前还在公共道路上运营自动驾驶车辆，尝试将人工智能应用于实际应用，力求将整个首都打造成一个现实世界机器人技术的试验场。

“运用最冷酷的技术创造最温暖的改变——这就是首尔选择的实体人工智能愿景，”市长吴世勋在致辞中说道。“我们将把智慧生活周打造成为一个国际平台，让世界各地的城市、企业和研究人员分享他们的经验和技术。”