As the robotics industry emerges as a next-generation growth market, semiconductor platform technology, which has been proven over a long period in the automotive sector, is attracting attention as a key foundation for accelerating the commercialization of robotics and intelligent systems.

Texas Instruments (TI) held the 'TI Mobility & Robotics Seminar 2026' at El Tower on the 9th.

Park Joong-seo, CEO of TI Korea, who delivered a keynote speech on the topic of "From Automotive to Robotics: How Proven Semiconductor Platforms Lead Intelligent Systems," emphasized, "Sensing, control, safety, and power efficiency technologies accumulated in the automotive industry will play a crucial role in solving the challenges of the robotics industry."

CEO Park Joong-seo first noted the rapid growth potential of the robot market.

According to the announcement, the global mobile robot market was less than $1 billion as of last year, but it is projected to reach $6 billion by 2030 and $51 billion by 2035.It was projected that the expansion would continue.

This essentially signals an annual average growth rate of nearly 50–60%.

On the other hand, CEO Park Joong-seo cited "safety" and "economic feasibility" as prerequisites for market expansion. He explained that for robots that assist human life to enter everyday spaces and industrial sites, they must be reliable and simultaneously reach a price point that general consumers and businesses can afford.

The technical challenges of robot implementation are also clear. Robots must perceive their surrounding environment not only through cameras but also through various sensors such as radar, lidar, touch, and torque.

On the other hand, the real environment is noisy and unpredictable.

Even natural finger movements or the act of picking up objects are complex tasks for robots that require advanced recognition, judgment, and control technologies.

In addition, for humanoid robots to move alongside humans in residential spaces and industrial sites, safety designs capable of preventing malfunctions or unexpected behaviors are essential.

Power efficiency is also a key variable in the commercialization of robots.

CEO Park Joong-seo explained that even a robot equipped with outstanding computing performance and sensor technology finds it difficult to ensure mobility and practicality without supporting battery efficiency.

Unlike cars, robots must be small and lightweight, and batteries cannot be increased indefinitely.

As high-performance sensing, real-time control, and safety functions must be implemented simultaneously within limited power, the power efficiency and system optimization capabilities of semiconductors become critical.

The solution TI is focusing on is the expansion of technology already proven in the automotive industry into the robotics field.

Electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles have solved various technical challenges over the past few decades, including sensing, motor control, high-voltage power design, vehicle communication, functional safety, and cybersecurity.

Just as autonomous vehicles distinguish between people and objects and recognize signals and the surrounding environment while driving, robots must also detect people and obstacles in living spaces and move safely.

Electric vehicle traction inverter and motor control technologies can also be applied to the sophisticated joint control and high-efficiency drive of robots.

In particular, 48-volt power architecture, high-efficiency power conversion, and high-speed data communication technologies spreading in the automotive industry are affecting robot performance andIt was presented as a basis for simultaneously improving the dragon structure.

CEO Park Joong-seo explained, “Although robots and automobiles appear to be different systems, they actually have significantly similar technical requirements in terms of perception, judgment, control, safety, and power management.”

Applying semiconductor technology accumulated from automobiles to robots can reduce development time, increase reliability, and lower commercialization costs.

TI highlighted its portfolio to support this transition as a strength.

CEO Park Joong-seo stated, “TI has over 80,000 product families and provides a wide range of solutions necessary for implementing robot systems, including sensing, motor control, communication, and power management.”

Because it is difficult to simultaneously satisfy real-time performance, safety, and power efficiency with the performance of a single component alone, TI emphasizes a system-level approach rather than individual devices.

A representative example of this is TI's reference design.

TI supports customers in searching for systems of interest on its website to check the structure of the system and which TI products can be used to implement each subsystem.

Some reference designs also disclose materials necessary for development, such as circuit diagrams and simulation results, to help customers start product development more quickly.

CEO Park Joong-seo also mentioned the possibility that Korea could play an important role in the future robot industry.

The explanation is that Korea possesses a favorable environment for the advancement of robot technology, given its high technological capabilities in the electronics and electrical industries and the battery sector, as well as the abundance of real-world data accumulated from industrial complexes and manufacturing sites.

labor force Shortages, an aging population, increasing demand for automation, and increased infrastructure investment were also cited as factors driving the adoption of robots.

Ultimately, the competitiveness of next-generation robots and intelligent systems does not end with simply adding more features. The market opens up only when they can be implemented safely, efficiently, and at a reasonable cost.

CEO Park Joong-seo stated, “TI’s semiconductor platforms and system-level solutions will play a role in enabling the robotics industry to follow the path of verification taken by the automotive industry more quickly and safely.”