Japanese and Korean Robot Manufacturers — FANUC, Yaskawa, Doosan

Japan and South Korea form a single hub in the Robolupa database: 35 manufacturer profiles, 26 Japanese and 9 Korean. 27 of them have a described model, 51 models in total (as of 5 October 2026, n = 51). Combining the two countries makes practical sense because they are made up of similar firms: large, long-established groups and research institutes. Joint Korean-American entries, such as Hyundai with Boston Dynamics, stay outside the hub.

This is a hub of collaborative robots. 23 of 51 models (45%) are cobots, and three firms — Doosan Robotics (10 models), FANUC (6) and Yaskawa Electric (4) — contribute 20 models, or 39% of the catalogue. Doosan is the Korean maker with the A, E, H, M and P series; FANUC and Yaskawa are Japanese groups represented here by the CRX and HC series. An introduction to their offers is in the articles “Doosan Robotics: Cobots from the Korean Maker in Poland” and “FANUC CRX: The Cobot Series with 8 Years of Zero Maintenance”; in the catalogue, FANUC CRX-5iA and Doosan M0609 are examples. They show two approaches to a catalogue: Doosan spreads 10 models over five series, while FANUC builds all 6 of its models in a single CRX family, so choosing there comes down mainly to payload and reach.

The other pole is humanoids and research robots. Of 10 humanoids, 7 are prototypes and 1 is a concept, while only 2 are on sale. The builders are institutes and corporations, among them AIST, KAIST, Waseda, Honda and Toyota. These are mainly research builds, seldom products you can buy. Do not look here for a cheap off-the-shelf humanoid — that segment belongs to Chinese firms, covered in their own hub. Home robots form a separate niche (6 models), including the newly added companion robots Casio Moflin and LOVOT 3.0.

The age of the manufacturers sets this hub apart. The vast majority of profiles with a stated founding year were founded before 2000, and young firms are a rarity here — unlike China, where they make up a clear share of such profiles. A stock-exchange listing, the company's own or its parent's, is recorded for most profiles. Component suppliers from both countries are in the component database, for example Nabtesco and ROBOTIS.

Prices are hardly ever public: a USD value exists for 9 of 51 models (18%). Availability in Poland is easier, though. 20 of 51 models (39%) are flagged as available, and every one of them is a cobot from one of three firms: Doosan, FANUC or Yaskawa. According to the descriptions in the database, Doosan is distributed by TT-CS, FANUC by spawalnictwo.pl, and Yaskawa operates in Poland through its own company in Wrocław. Before choosing a robot, see “How to Buy a Cobot Step by Step” and the category “Cobots”.