'Robots need clothes': humanoids hit catwalk in Seoul - Fashion United
Increasingly dexterous robots have proven themselves capable of performing choreographed dances, participating in races, and even able to land backflips.
Key takeaways
Figure AI announced that its BotQ factory has accelerated production of the Figure 03 humanoid from one unit per day to one unit per hour—a 24‑fold increase achieved in under 120 days—bringing total output to more than 350 third‑generation robots, with a battery line first‑pass yield of 99.3 percent and overall robot first‑pass yields now above 80 percent; the company also rolled out internal fleet‑management tools, over‑the‑air updates, field‑service platforms and fault‑recovery “fallback ladders.” In a separate test, three Figure 03 units ran continuously for more than 24 hours on a package‑sorting task that was originally slated for eight hours, demonstrating sustained autonomous operation in a logistics setting. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has proposed the first standardized performance benchmark for humanoid robots since the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge, aiming to provide a common metric for the many platforms that have emerged in the past decade. BMW plans to deploy two Hexagon Robotics humanoids in its Leipzig plant beginning this summer, marking the first use of humanoid robots on a European car‑production line and underscoring the industry view that human‑shaped machines can be placed wherever a human worker currently operates. At the Humanoids Summit in Tokyo on 28 May 2026, Japanese developers displayed dancing robots, needle‑threading hands and other dexterous demos, many powered by Chinese Unitree components, highlighting intense competition between Japan and China in advanced humanoid technology. Meanwhile, a fashion show in Seoul featured humanoid robots strutting the catwalk in custom‑designed clothing, illustrating the growing cultural visibility of these machines. Together, these developments point to rapid scaling of manufacturing, longer autonomous runtimes, emerging performance standards, and expanding use cases across industry, logistics and public events.
Increasingly dexterous robots have proven themselves capable of performing choreographed dances, participating in races, and even able to land backflips.
Financial services firm Morgan Stanley predicts the world could have more than a billion humanoids by 2050.
But fully automated robots -- using emerging physical AI technology -- are still rare, with most impressive displays remotely operated or pre-programmed.
South Korea The designs, including silky dresses and billowing space-age black trousers like those worn by rock star David Bowie in the 1970s, were carefully fitted to the robots' skeletal frames.
Galaxy Corporation, the entertainment company behind the display, said it was meant to ask: "How can humans and robots coexist?"
"We realised that robots, too, need to wear clothes," CEO Choi Yong-ho said.
"Just as every human being is unique, we believe that every single robot should also be distinct."
The clothes were designed by the company, whose spokesperson said it hopes to launch them under the brand name "MACH 33" at the end of the year.
The robot models at the Seoul fashion show appeared to be a humanoid made by Chinese startup Unitree, which are popular due to their relatively low cost. Home News Fashion 'Robots need clothes': humanoids hit catwalk in Seoul
'Robots need clothes': humanoids hit catwalk in Seoul
By AFP
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There were no naked robots in sight at a fashion show held in Seoul with a high-tech twist, where pairs of people and humanoids hit the catwalk in matching outfits.
A tasselled blue Texan-style ensemble -- complete with a cowboy hat for the robot -- and a retro silver puffer jacket were among the looks showcased at the event on Thursday.
Each human model and their shorter android companion took turns to strut their stuff in unison on stage.
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