LG's humanoid robot will run on Nvidia and debut in early 2027

LG is building a full bipedal humanoid robot powered by Nvidia's AI stack, with a public unveiling set for the first quarter of 2027. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding on August 13, 2026 at Nvidia's Santa Clara headquarters, with LG CEO Kwang Mo Koo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang both present. The partnership puts LG squarely in the race against Boston Dynamics and Tesla — though LG's approach leans harder on proven silicon than flashy demos.

The tech inside

The humanoid will run on Nvidia's Isaac GR00T foundation model, a platform designed specifically to train and control human-shaped robots. Processing duties go to the Nvidia Jetson Thor compute module, which handles complex AI tasks on-device. Safety is managed by Nvidia Halos for Robotics. In other words, LG is supplying the body; Nvidia is supplying the brain and nervous system.

Hardware comes from across the LG group under what the company calls a "One LG" strategy: LG Innotek contributes sensors, LG Energy Solution handles the battery pack, and LG Electronics develops the actuators that make the thing move.

Factory first, home later

Before the humanoid hits a stage, LG is testing a separate wheel-based robot — the CLOiD — on the washing machine production line at its Tennessee plant, with deployment planned for sometime in 2026. The idea is to validate the technology in a real factory environment before scaling to other production sites, commercial spaces, and eventually homes.

To train both robots, LG is building a data platform called PhysicalWorks, which mixes real-world sensor data with synthetic scenarios. The goal is a proprietary robotics foundation model LG controls end-to-end. The company is also constructing an 80 MW AI factory in Cheonan, South Korea, expected to be operational by the first half of 2028.

Where LG fits in the field

Boston Dynamics' Atlas is already in commercial production, with all 2026 units committed to Hyundai's factories including its Georgia EV plant. Tesla's Optimus remains years away from public sales. LG's Q1 2027 unveiling — confirmed via PR Newswire — doesn't guarantee a product you can buy, but it does put a hard date on the calendar. The Tennessee test bed suggests LG is at least serious about industrial use cases before any consumer play.