Robots share Seoul runway with models

Seoul’s push to turn humanoid robots into mainstream entertainers moved onto the fashion runway as Galaxy Corporation paired human models with Unitree G1 machines in a staged show of cowboy hats, silk dresses, metallic jackets and 1970s-inspired trousers.

The Mach33: Physical AI Fashion Show, held on 28 May at Galaxy Robot Park in Gangdong District, was presented as more than a novelty catwalk. Galaxy Corporation framed the event as an experiment in coexistence, asking how people and robots might share cultural spaces rather than treating humanoids only as factory tools, laboratory platforms or service machines.

Each model appeared with a shorter humanoid counterpart, often wearing matching or complementary outfits. A tasselled blue Texan-style look, complete with a robot-sized cowboy hat, stood alongside retro silver outerwear, silky dresses fitted to rigid frames and space-age black trousers reminiscent of David Bowie’s 1970s stage style. The styling made the mechanical bodies appear less like exposed prototypes and more like performers entering a commercial entertainment format.

Galaxy Corporation founder and chief executive Choi Yong-ho said the company had realised that robots “need to wear clothes” and argued that robots, like people, should have distinct identities. The company designed the outfits and intends to launch them under the MACH 33 name by the end of the year, positioning robot fashion as a potential extension of its entertainment-technology business.

The event followed the opening phase of Galaxy Robot Park, a 16,500-square-metre venue in eastern Seoul designed around robot concerts, interactive shows, robotic portrait drawing, boxing-style demonstrations and visitor experiences. The park is part of Galaxy Corporation’s effort to create a new live-entertainment category built around “physical AI”, a term used to describe artificial intelligence moving from screens and software into embodied machines operating in shared human spaces.

Galaxy Corporation, known for managing cultural figures including G-Dragon, Taemin and actor Song Kang-ho, has been seeking to merge K-pop spectacle with robotics. Its robot performances have included choreographed dance routines, synchronised stage movement and plans for several shows a day. The company has said it wants to stage more than 1,000 robot performances annually and ultimately take robot-led shows beyond South Korea.

The robot models appeared to be Unitree G1 humanoids, a relatively low-cost platform made by Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics. The G1 is widely used in demonstrations because of its compact size, balance control, range of motion and comparatively accessible pricing for developers and institutions. Its ability to walk, turn, gesture and respond to programmed choreography makes it suitable for controlled performances, though it remains far from a fully autonomous general-purpose worker.

The show also highlighted the gap between polished presentation and engineering reality. Humanoid robots are becoming more agile, but smooth movement in a runway setting still requires careful staging, reliable control systems and predictable conditions. Research into whole-body teleoperation, motion retargeting and autonomous loco-manipulation continues to point to unresolved challenges, including latency, balance recovery, hand dexterity, human-robot interaction and safe operation in crowded public spaces.

For South Korea’s entertainment sector, the Galaxy event fits a broader pattern of experimentation with virtual idols, AI-generated content, immersive fan platforms and digitally enhanced performances. K-pop’s visual emphasis makes it a natural testing ground for robotic spectacle, but the commercial test will be whether audiences view robot performers as compelling cultural products or as temporary curiosities.

Fashion offers Galaxy a softer route into that debate. Unlike industrial robotics, a runway show does not require humanoids to prove productivity. It asks whether machines can be styled, branded and given a visible role in popular culture. The clothes also conceal some of the awkwardness of exposed mechanical frames, making the robots appear less clinical and more theatrical.

The commercial stakes are growing. Forecasts for humanoid robotics vary widely, but major financial institutions and technology analysts expect the sector to expand sharply over the next two decades as costs fall and AI systems improve. Optimistic projections point to hundreds of millions, or even more than a billion, humanoids by 2050, though adoption is expected to move gradually as companies work through safety, reliability, regulation and public acceptance.