Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation officially launched their industrial wearable robot, the X-ble Shoulder, in the Korean market with a handover ceremony for the first unit to Korean Air on July 8.
The event took place at Korean Air’s aircraft maintenance hangar in Incheon.
As its first official customer, Korean Air will deploy the wearable robot across its aerospace division, covering assembly and maintenance operations for commercial airliners, military aircraft, urban air mobility vehicles, drones, stealth aircraft and satellite launch systems.
Company tests indicate that the device can reduce shoulder joint loads by up to 60% and anterior and lateral deltoid muscle activity by up to 30% during repetitive overhead tasks.
Hyundai Motor and Kia vice president and robotics Lab head Dong Jin Hyun said the X-ble Shoulder “embodies the technological expertise and collaboration of our employees” and that Hyundai Motor and Kia aim to expand its application across industries to prevent injury and improve efficiency for workers.
Korean Air managing vice president and head of aerostructure business department Hyunboh Jung said he anticipated “workers’ health and job satisfaction will be enhanced through the introduction of X-ble Shoulder” and that Korean Air was reviewing further adoption to uphold the highest standards in manufacturing and maintenance safety and quality.
Developed in-house by Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Robotics LAB, the X-ble Shoulder features a non-powered torque generation mechanism that requires no batteries or charging, ensuring a lightweight design and uninterrupted operation.
Its muscle compensation module delivers assistive torque during overhead work, a posture common in aircraft maintenance. Prototype trials involving over 300 on-site workers at global production sites began in 2022 and informed refinements in both technology and ergonomics.
Following this initial delivery, Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Robotics LAB plan broader distribution to pre-order customers, including group affiliates and domestic manufacturers, with sales to extend into construction, shipbuilding and agriculture.
The companies also intend to enter global markets from 2026.
The X-ble Shoulder has gained international recognition for safety and design.
In February 2025 it received ISO 13482 certification for personal assistant robots from DNV, followed by EU machinery certification in May.
It won the Product – Industry category at the 2025 iF Design Awards and the Good Design Award in Robotics in 2024.
