[Reporter’s Notebook] Narrowing the Dexterity Gap, Widening the Technological Divide

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The scene at the '2026 Smart Factory & Automation World (AW 2026)' held at COEX in Seoul resembled a scene straight out of a science fiction movie. Humanoids busily moved their feet to intercept soccer balls, while robotic hands carefully transported delicate fruits as if handling a baby, drawing astonished reactions from visitors. It was a vivid demonstration that the era of 'autonomous manufacturing,' where artificial intelligence (AI) acts as the brain of the production site and robots serve as precise muscles, is not far off. However, behind this dazzling display of technology, there remain significant challenges facing Korea's manufacturing sector.

Ken Goldberg, a world-renowned scholar in the field of robotics and professor at UC Berkeley, believes it will take at least another ten years for robots to match the sophisticated 'dexterity' of human hands. This is because replicating the subtle, unconscious finger movements or force adjustments humans make based on the texture of objects is extremely difficult for robots. Ju Youngsub, visiting professor at the College of Engineering at Seoul National University, stated, "If the degree of freedom of a human hand is about 27 to 28, Korean robot companies' hand technology is at about 20."

Indeed, at AW 2026, many robot companies showcased robotic hand products designed to mimic human hand movements, highlighting their determination to tackle this technical challenge. It was clear that the future of manufacturing automation depends on the evolution of robotic hands. However, the clean environment of the exhibition hall is a world apart from the oil-stained reality of industrial sites. While robots are undoubtedly narrowing the gap in dexterity with humans, questions remain about whether they can maintain durability and perform reliably in manufacturing and logistics factories that are full of unpredictable variables, outside of controlled environments. For Korean robots to lead the market, it is urgent to move beyond simply demonstrating "what is possible" and evolve into universal technologies that "anyone can buy and use."

Bridging the technological gap within the manufacturing industry is another pressing challenge. Although the event was filled with AX (AI transformation) solutions promising to create "thinking factories," many voiced concerns that the investment costs remain too burdensome for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While the government is supporting the adoption of smart factories to help SMEs with digital transformation (DX), even this assistance has seen a noticeable slowdown in adoption rates recently. According to the 'Smart Manufacturing Innovation Survey' released last year, the adoption rate of smart factories among SMEs was 18.6%, far below that of mid-sized companies at 85.7%.

It is said that the main customers for AX solutions developed by large corporations are SMEs. For the rosy future promised by AW 2026 to become a celebration for the entire manufacturing sector, the pace of narrowing the digital divide between large corporations and SMEs must match the speed at which robotic dexterity approaches that of humans. While a soccer robot's missed kick can be dismissed as a cute mishap, a misstep in manufacturing innovation could lead to a decline in national competitiveness-a fact that should not be overlooked.

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