Recently, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) analyzed patent applications related to robots integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology filed with the world’s five major intellectual property offices (IP5), which include China, Korea, the European Union, Japan, and the United States. The study revealed that over a span of just 10 years (2012–2021), patent applications for AI robots grew at an astonishing rate of 58.5% annually. In 2012, there were only 20 applications, but by 2021, this number surged to 1,260. Notably, according to KIPO’s official website, South Korean company LG Electronics became the largest applicant in terms of the total number of AI robot-related patent filings.

Patent Application Trends by Nationality

In terms of nationality, China led the field with a dominant 60% share of the total applications (3,313 patents). South Korea emerged as a strong competitor in the AI robot technology sector, ranking second with 24.7% (1,367 patents), while the United States followed with 8.1% (446 patents). Over the 10 years (2012–2021), China maintained a commanding presence, with a 59.7% average annual growth rate in AI robot patent applications. South Korea also saw substantial growth, with a 53.4% annual growth rate, increasing its influence in this field.

Trends by Technology Category

A further breakdown of the types of AI technologies used in robots revealed that the most common category was "control technology for application fields" (e.g., education, entertainment, healthcare), which accounted for the largest share of applications at 53.6% (2,962 patents). The second most common category was "perception and interaction technology," enabling robots to interact and manipulate their environment, which made up 33.8% (1,869 patents). The third category was "drive control technology," related to controlling robot movement through learning, which accounted for 12.6% (694 patents).

Top Patent Applicants

Among the major applicants, LG Electronics of South Korea ranked first with 18.8% (1,038 patents), far surpassing the second-place applicant, FANUC Corporation of Japan, with just 1.8% (97 patents). South China Normal University from China came in third with 1.5% (83 patents). LG Electronics has been actively filing patents related to AI technologies for object recognition and speech recognition in various types of robots, including cleaning, service, and logistics robots, both domestically and internationally. Additionally, another South Korean company, Samsung Electronics, made it into the top ten applicants, ranking eighth with 0.7% (41 patents), reflecting the significant development potential of South Korean companies in the AI robot sector.

Shin Cha Seong, head of LG Electronics' Intellectual Property Center team, shared that the company began its R&D work in robotics and AI in 2017 as part of its strategy to enter new business areas. He emphasized that the company's efforts to secure a strong patent portfolio and file patents ahead of others contributed to a significant increase in its patent filings, especially the surge in 2019.

Lee Seon Woo, head of the KIPO AI Robot Examination Department, pointed out that the rapid growth in patent applications in areas like control technologies for applications demonstrates the growing interest in AI robots. He also noted that while China’s patent applications are mainly focused on its domestic market, global companies like Tesla file relatively fewer patents in this field. Therefore, he believes there is still significant room for growth in South Korea’s AI robot patent applications. By focusing on developing external interaction technologies and drive control technologies and actively securing patents, South Korea can gain a competitive advantage in the intellectual property landscape related to AI robots. (Source: www.agip-news.com)