Mitsubishi Motors forms partnership to build and use humanoid robots
10 August 2026 
Mitsubishi Motors has signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with a Japanese robotics start-up called Highlanders, that could lead to the car-maker manufacturing humanoid robots as well as deploying them on its own production lines. Under the MoU, the two companies will explore the joint development of humanoid robots as well as mass production of Highlanders products at Mitsubishi’s Kyoto Plant.
Japan’s manufacturing industry is undergoing significant change in response to major challenges including labour shortages, increasingly sophisticated manufacturing operations, and the need for more flexible manufacturing. Mitsubishi is collaborating with a variety of partners, including startups, to tackle these challenges.
Highlanders, founded in 2023 as a spinout from Tokyo University, is developing a foundation-model for physical intelligence, and the fleet of robots including humanoids and four-legged machines that generate the real-world data to train the model, called Kepler. The various robots will share the same model stack. The company expects to generate around 26 million hours of real-world training data next year.
Highlander says it wants to help solve workforce-related issues through humanoid and other advanced robotics technologies, with the goal of achieving a society where humans and robots collaborate seamlessly.
Mitsubishi and Highlanders are seeking to create new value in manufacturing and to enhance industrial competitiveness. As a first step in a joint development project, Mitsubishi plans to use Highlanders’ humanoid robots at its own manufacturing facilities. It will accumulate operational data and know-how while deepening its expertise in the field of humanoids and evaluating opportunities for future developments.
Mitsubishi will also to explore the production of Highlander humanoids, possibly starting in early 2027 in currently unused buildings at its Kyoto plant. It has already invested in Highlanders and plans to make additional investments in the future.
Mitsubishi and Highlanders say that this is the first collaboration of its type between an automotive manufacturer and a humanoid robotics developer involving mass production. Highlanders predicts that the partnership will accelerate both companies’ humanoid robotics activities.
“Our collaboration with Highlanders represents a challenge aimed at building a new industrial foundation in which humans and robots work together,” says Mitsubishi Motors’ chairman and CEO, Takao Kato. “At the same time, it provides Mitsubishi Motors with a valuable opportunity to deepen our technological and business expertise in the field of humanoid robotics.
“By utilising humanoid robots in our own manufacturing facilities and supporting the production of Highlanders products, we aim to leverage the outcomes of this collaboration to drive our growth and enhance corporate value.”
Highlanders’ CEO, Hiroya Masuoka, says that his company’s mission is to address a wide range of industrial challenges through robotics and physical AI technologies. “We believe that achieving mass production of domestically developed humanoid robots through this partnership with Mitsubishi Motors, which brings decades of manufacturing expertise, represents a significant step toward achieving this goal.
“Furthermore, deploying our robotics technologies within Mitsubishi Motors’ manufacturing operations will provide a valuable opportunity to drive technological advancement in our products. By maximising the value of this collaboration, we look forward to expanding our mutually beneficial relationship with Mitsubishi Motors.”
