Bigwave Robotics to Deploy Humanoids in Modular Housing Production

South Korea’s Bigwave Robotics will begin deploying humanoid robots across Space Studio’s modular housing production and construction operations, starting with insulation installation as the companies move Physical AI into tasks that have been difficult to automate with conventional industrial robots.

Bigwave Robotics said the deployment will be introduced gradually across Space Studio’s production lines and construction sites, with the partnership aimed at improving process efficiency while building real-world data for construction-focused Physical AI systems.

Humanoids Target Insulation Installation First

The first process targeted for humanoid automation is the installation of fibreglass insulation.

The material can pose respiratory and skin risks to workers, while its irregular shape and handling requirements have made the task difficult to automate using conventional fixed industrial robots.

Bigwave plans to use humanoid robots for these more complex and less structured tasks, extending automation into processes that still depend heavily on manual labour.

Modular Housing Production Already Uses Robotics

Space Studio already operates an automated production line that prefabricates much of its wooden modular housing inside a factory before transporting the completed sections to construction sites.

The company has also worked with Samsung Electronics on the Samsung AI Modular Home, which combines modular construction with AI appliances and SmartThings-based IoT systems.

Samsung said more than 80% of each modular home can be prefabricated in the factory, helping shorten construction times while improving consistency and reducing construction waste.

Physical AI Moves Into Construction

The partnership expands humanoid robotics beyond more established manufacturing and logistics applications into modular construction.

Bigwave plans to collect data from the robots as they handle irregular tasks in real production environments and use that information to develop Physical AI systems specialised for construction.

The company said the collaboration is intended to move beyond technology demonstrations and towards practical industrial deployment.

Dark Factory Remains Longer-Term Goal

Bigwave sees humanoid deployment as a step towards increasingly autonomous modular-housing production.

By replacing difficult manual processes with robots, the company aims to lay the groundwork for a future “dark factory”, where manufacturing can operate with minimal direct human intervention.

The project builds on earlier automation work in modular housing. Bigwave has previously implemented robotic window-assembly systems using industrial robots at modular housing production facilities.

Global Modular Housing Market in Focus

Bigwave Robotics CEO Kim Minkyo said the company intends to refine its construction-focused Physical AI technology using data collected at operating sites.

The company is also targeting opportunities outside South Korea, including the North American modular housing market, as it develops humanoid applications for a wider range of construction tasks.

For modular housing manufacturers, humanoids could provide a new route to automating processes that remain too variable for traditional industrial robots, particularly where worker safety, flexibility and irregular materials are involved.